Why don't we just raise minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour?

Question

That way everyone will have a decent income and no one will be on welfare and take advantage of the system.

Answer 1

Yeah, why not?! Screw the small businesses!

I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek. At least . . . I hope it is.

Answer 2

We should and all these people who say prices will skyrocket to their outrageous examples are truly exaggerating. In reality the government was supposed to raise minimum wage every time the cost of living went up. They have missed the boat on multiple occasions. $15.00 an hour would certainly catch everyone up to speed. It would knock a ton of people straight off welfare and save the government real dollars to start work on the bill HR676 (USNHI - United States National Health Insurance). It would be affordable for all people.

And the person whining about the cost of their stupid Big Mac?? Look at the billions of dollars they spent advertising that hunk of crap. If they cut out a huge chunk of that advertising they could move along and charge you the same $2.99 to poison yourself as usual.

OR--Try buying from local produce growers and cook your own food at home and don't buy that Big Mac and you won't have to worry about the price, period.

ALSO--Raising the minimum wage IS good for the economy. We have seen time and again when minimum wage is raised, people who get the raise put the money right back into the system. Business profits increase as more money is circulating through the economy. Contrary to what the Republicans say every time the topic is brought up, raising the minimum wage does not cause recession, depression or economic collapse.

And to the person right below me - YOUR answer is this:
If you are already making $15.00 an hour it will go up at least by a couple of dollars naturally because your employer isn't stupid. He/She knows if they want to keep their experienced people they have to give you a little bump.

Answer 3

Your proposed solution will lead to the exact opposite of what you hope to achieve -- more people than ever will go on welfare and won't get off it for the rest of their lives.

There are plenty of businesses out there that only hire unskilled workers because they are cheaper than machines. If you raise minimum wage to $15, machines will become a VERY attractive alternative to workers. So where you used to have 20 people working for $10/hour, you will have one worker making $30/hour servicing a bunch of machines that actually do the work. And the 20 people who used to work for $10/hour will all be out of work permanently.

In fact, this is exactly why unions favor higher minimum wage, even though the vast majority of their members earn far more than minimum wage; jobs that are created in response to higher minimum wages are usually higher-paying and require some training (and are thus more likely to be union), although there are far fewer of them.

Answer 4

actually i think of the present residing salary is someplace around $12 an hour, and thats the place federal minimum would desire to be raised, and then adjusted on inflation each 3 hundred and sixty 5 days, so right here years inflation is often lagging, and genuine wages will by no skill fall. If blended with stiff tarriff rules removing greater decrease priced distant places hard artwork suggestions, this could at last drain the money lower back out of the capital classification, and in to the hands of the human beings who actually earned it.

Answer 5

how old are you, 10? If you raise the minimum wage, prices will rise down the line, depending on how much you raise it. Lets face it, some jobs do not warrent $15 per hour. If you owned a company and someone came in and told you that you had to pay that much to your employees, which would cut into your profit, would you like that? Its your company, shouldnt you have the last say as to what you pay someone? Any ways, if they're not happy with what they make, they are free to find another job.

Answer 6

But then how would the CEOs be able to make more in a day playing golf than the lowly peons earn in a year???

You guys all make good points with your economics, especially the person who pointed out how it would affect small business, but what about the Exxons and Home Depots of the world where the CEOs are making truly obscene amounts (and in the case of Home Depot, they get obscene packages upon leaving the company regardless of the fact that they did a horrible job) while the low wage earners can hardly feed their families? I'm all for small business, but corporate responsiblity would be nice, too.

Answer 7

Yea! Or, we could just make it so everything is free and trade is our means of survival again. Of course, then the question would be - Why doesn't everyone get 6 rolls of toilet paper for 1 bottle of beer? Shouldn't everyones beer be worth the same amount of sh!t paper?!

Answer 8

This will lead to higher unemployment, because companies cannot affort to hire as many people at $15 an hour as they can at $8.

Answer 9

then we will have 10.00 hamburgers at McDonald's with 5.00 fries.the cost of the wage would raise all the prices.the wages would never keep up the the cost of things(rent food gas etc)

Answer 10

It'll surprise the roaming school of economics, but isn't that it what it really is in New Zealand, France, etc? Or something close, like US$12?

Australia's is AU$13.47, which is about US$12.

Answer 11

Your suggestion is too good to be true, and what you say is absolutely true. There would definitely be a most beneficial effect for our country.


The negative responses use fear as the main basis against your suggestion. All they can say is "this horrible result will probably happen" with no prove, whatsoever.

If we can afford to spend One Trillion Dollars on a four year never ending war going nowhere, we sure can afford to do something financial for our own country,.