What do you guys think about the minimum wage increase?

Question

2.10 an hour seems like alot

Answer 1

It is about time !!!! 2.10 doesn't even keep up with the cost of living..it should be more. You try living on it. Many states have already raised it above this and it has IMPROVED their economy.

Answer 2

I agree with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md "You should not be relegated to poverty if you work hard and play by the rules,"
And it IS long overdue, min. wage hasn't had an increase in 10 yrs, since Clinton and a GOP controlled House
The Dem's are back in town
On the other hand, what type of changes are going to be made for the small business man? A tax break ? Or should the Govt make it easier to buy health ins. by banding together with other small businesses?
If you own a small business, yes $2.10 does sound like alot.
But if your on the other end of the stick, then the $2.10 is just long overdue.
And remember this isn't a one time $2.10 raise, it would happen over the course of three years.

Answer 3

I think it bring me that much closer to poverty. Yes I agree that it is impossible to live on 5.10 an hour. But i come from a small, low-income town where I have been surviving on my own for several years. I have been at my job for 3 years and I make 9.00 an hour. Now brand spanking new employees who don't know there job from a hole in the ground will make almost what I do. Because I sure wont get a raise. And when all the prices go up twice as much as the mimine wage (so that all the big wig's proffit stays the same) I'm not going to afford to feed myself, or even better I wont be able to afford gas in my 17 yo car so that I can even drive the 30 miles to work each way.

Answer 4

The below is a little over 1/2 a person makes a year on minimum wage, and this was just a pay hike for an already overpaid Congress!

You can't live on it and it still leaves a person working 40 hours a week below the federal poverty line!

"Members of Congress are in line for a $3,300 pay raise effective Jan. 1 unless they block it, and Democrats said Thursday they intend to try.

Officials said Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the party's leaders, had notified Republicans they will try to add the anti-pay-raise provision to a bill that provides funds for most government agencies through Feb. 15. Congress must pass the funding bill before it adjourns for the year, and the target for that is Friday."

With the raise congress will make $168,000 a year plus benefits!

Answer 5

Minimum wage should allow a worker to earn enough for a full day's work to live on otherwise it's like slave labour. Also, I find it incredible when, for example here in Canada (Ontario) our minimum wage recently increased to $8.00 an hour from $7.75, a mere increase of 25 cents while our members of provincial parliament responsible for such pittance gave themselves a 25% salary increase, that is, thousands of dollars increase! Or, what kind of justice and harmony is there in society when Beckham (the British soccer player) just made a contract to receive about a million dollars a week!

Answer 6

It'll be nice for the people that make minimum wage, but the rest of us will have to pay for it. Some small businesses will undoubtedly have to close because they can't afford to hire enough employees to operate with the higher payroll expenses. Wal-Mart executives are dancing in the streets. Since they buy in huge quantities, the increase in expenses will be countered with an increase in sales. This will happen because their competitors will have to raise prices to pay for the wage increase and Wal-Mart won't have to. The president will have to weigh the costs and benefits of such a large increase. If he signs the bill, small businesses will be angry with him and the Democrats in Congress will accuse him of slamming the common man in favor if big business (ie. Wal-Mart). If he vetoes the bill, the Democrats in Congress will slam him for keeping the poor man down and favoring the rich.
As I see it, Congress has backed the president into a corner. Now he is in a no-win situation. No matter what he does, he'll be vilified for it. I have no doubt that this was done as a lead in to the Bush bashing fest of the 2008 election year. Once again, we're all just pawns in a bid for power in the government. Ain't politics grand?

Answer 7

Well maybe at that rate, someone may be able to split the bills with their parents. 10 years it hasn't raised, the cost of electric has almost tripled in 10 years. I feel that a person will stay in poverty at that rate. Would you be happy with 2.10 raise in 10 years? I'm glad to see the rate go up.
Just as the fuel price increase started at $2.00 and we became angry at $3.00 but at $2.50 we were happy. Why wasn't $2.00 an option? The increase is great but there is so much more to look at.

Answer 8

I am definetly not complaining. I'm a full time college student, and I work at a daycare- so I'm not exactly making a small fortune or anything; but I was thinking that an increase of that much seemed like a lot as well. Oh well, they must be planning to raise or add more taxes.

Answer 9

Well I think that it should be more but I guess it's better than nothing. I just don't see how people can survive on it. Where I live you can't even live in a decent place for less than 500.00 a month and that's generally a rat hole. Then you have to figure in child care if you have any kids, lights, gas to get to work or crap maybe even bus fare, then food. It's no wonder why people have no money left over for health care.

Answer 10

Let's see what shakes out with it but, I do think it's a bit steep the people that are all about it don't know what it's like to try to make it in a small business. They're part of the every body owes me I shouldn't have to work for my money generation.