Democrats Options

[Hartmann]

No, you're right Dogmeat. If they increase minimum wage they effectively increase hourly pay across the board.

[celebritygooner]

You like to make a lot of unsupported claims.  In fact, you're entire argument is unsupported.

You say higher minimum wage = higher unemployment for the poor. I show a time when that wasn't true.  You claim that I can't use that time, because of massive growth.  Well, wouldn't that massive growth effect all states at least, near eqaully?  How does America's massive growth only effect those states with higher minimum wages, thus making my data invalid? 

You also have claimed that raising the minimum wage will increase inflation.  I will agree with you there, but I will not agree to the extend.  So please show by how much, and give historical data.  When they raised the minimum wage to 5.15, what rate did inflation increase?

But then you claim that increased inflation, increases the cost of our goods, which makes it harder for us to export, hurting our economy even more.  Well, I don't know if you've taken international finance or not, but that is absolutely wrong.  Rising inflation heavily reduces the value of our dollar, giving foreign currencies more buying power in our country.  Lowering our dollar's value actually helps our trade deficit, not hurt it.

The bottom line: America's lower working class deserves a wage increase.  It will likely not effect the economy, and it will give that group of people much needed relief.  It is time for minimum wage to catch up to the cost of living.

I didn't say inflation hurts exports ... bah, that last paragraph was not well written, my bad ...

Yes, raising wages would raise the quality of life short-term. But where does that money come from? Business owners? Then they're moving overseas. Obviously not every job can be exported -- burger flipper, Walmart greeter, lawn mower -- but alot of them can. If it's cheaper to pay a Cambodian and then ship the goods than it is to pay an American, then that's what's going to happen -- and it bleeds our economy ten cents at a time. In 1946, we exported everything to everybody, because we were the only country with factories left. Where are our factories today? China.

[M1N10N]

and that would be because of labor unions or minimum wage?

[celebritygooner]

and that would be because of labor unions or minimum wage?

Labor unions, minimum wage, universal health care, pensions ... they are all one and the same. They all artificially raising the cost of doing business, and the result is migration of work to places where it is cheaper. Read the thread about GM laying off thousands of workers. High wages + union protections = uncompetitive business.

[Billy]

I don't know, man. Those guys in the unions, with no more than a high school education, were making $60,000 a year on an assembly line. Minimum wage workers currently make around $10,000 a year. If anything's driving industry over seas, it's unions. They were getting paid way more than they should. Minimum wage workers shouldn't have to play the whipping boy and be blamed for something they aren't causing.

[M1N10N]

american was being paid a quarter what a nigger will do for a dime and the irish for a nickle