Seattle 15$ min wage costing workers 125$ p/mo

[feedmelies]

Wages for the golf course i run will go up 2500/week and thats just the minimum wage peeps. Now my guys with experience and actual skill will have to go up. Maybe thatll cost me another 2k a week. Explain to me how an aditional 20k/month in costs is good for our business.

Good thing more mowers are becoming gps driven. More jobs lost to over priced labour and convenient automation.

This will only hurt those that should be working for minimum wage. High school and university kids.

The simple answer is that you're greedy and selfish. Oh, and if your business can't withstand my arbitrary standards, then it doesn't deserve to exist.

 

[Jack V Savage]

I think there needs to be something in school taught that minimum wage is there as it's the BARE FUCKING MINIMUM to "get by" and someone shouldn't think they can live off that for more than the time they are in school.

Hell, I make almost $17 an hour full time and am still thinking about going back to being a bouncer in addition to my Courthouse job just so it's not a case of "here's your paycheck and there goes 70-80% of it to bills and shit".

Kind of agree without the vitriol. Some people have the idea that if you're working full-time, you shouldn't need any additional assistance to have your basic needs met. I would just say that in America, no one should go without food, shelter, healthcare, and education. And not to be cheesy, but I'd be inclined to add love and respect (at least as a presumption--if someone turns out to be an asshole, OK, but the homeless and generally people with mental illnesses, lots of low-wage workers and others are often presumed to be unworthy of respect, and that ain't right). I don't think MW is a big part of getting there (see my discussion with Pan, though--I think it can prevent workers from being exploited).

 

[Gregolian]

Kind of agree without the vitriol. Some people have the idea that if you're working full-time, you shouldn't need any additional assistance to have your basic needs met. I would just say that in America, no one should go without food, shelter, healthcare, and education. And not to be cheesy, but I'd be inclined to add love and respect (at least as a presumption--if someone turns out to be an asshole, OK, but the homeless and generally people with mental illnesses, lots of low-wage workers and others are often presumed to be unworthy of respect, and that ain't right). I don't think MW is a big part of getting there (see my discussion with Pan, though--I think it can prevent workers from being exploited).

I just feel like these jobs at day, fast food for example are jobs high school kids should work... which drives me nuts as I went to my 10 year high school reunion recently and there were people there that were working fast food in high school and still are bitching about the amount they get paid and are married with kids. Now, if that is LITERALLY the only thing available fucking do it. But in our town the refinery and sub contractor companies that work there are ALWAYS looking for people and pay like $22 an hour starting and we have at least 3-4 construction companies that always can use hands too.

 

[Amerikuracana]

$15 was a big jump. $13 would have been high, but more reasonable. Businesses will hire to meet demand, as always. Others will open businesses for the same reason. The problem will come from larger corporate entities raising prices as much as possible due to the higher income in the area.

$15 was too much of a jump.

 

[Amerikuracana]

I just feel like these jobs at day, fast food for example are jobs high school kids should work... which drives me nuts as I went to my 10 year high school reunion recently and there were people there that were working fast food in high school and still are bitching about the amount they get paid and are married with kids. Now, if that is LITERALLY the only thing available fucking do it. But in our town the refinery and sub contractor companies that work there are ALWAYS looking for people and pay like $22 an hour starting and we have at least 3-4 construction companies that always can use hands too.

They closed 60,000 factories, and nothing replaced them. Also, fast did jobs are the restaurant business. It's work, and it's meeting a demand like every other damn job. It's level of difficulty is about as hard as 90% of other jobs. Level of skill of purchasing agent? No real skill. Real estate? No real skill. I was about to make a looooooong list, but I'll stop.

Fast food places are small businesses that need to be run EXACTLY Like another small business.

 

[superpunch]

You people are just reading political propaganda. And yes, economic studies are political propaganda too. I used to work at a government research firm and whatever gets put out is put out to tell whoever is sponsoring the study what they want to hear. 99.9% of all studies you read are like that.

Talk to anyone that actually lives in Seattle.

The minimum wage is actually $13.50, not $15. It's being raised by ~$1 a year until it hits $15.

What's great is that the $13.50 minimum wage is actually just the floor now. Every single job, even dishwashing, pays over $15/ hour just like most low wage jobs never actually pay $7.25 in flyover country.

That means that you can move to Seattle, walk across the street, and be making $15-$20/ hour the same day you arrive just by knocking on the door at McDonalds. Jobs are plentiful.

It's much, much easier to find a job in Seattle than it is in conservative flyover meth country with $7.25 poverty minimum wages telling everyone that a $15/ hour minimum wage is a bad idea. Jobs are everywhere and good employees are in high demand by all employers. My low wage job couldn't hire enough people at over $20/ hour for burger flipping and they were trying really, really hard to find people.

The catch? It's harder for crackheads to find a job. The higher minimum wage only hurts crackheads. And not just crackheads -- they can still find $20+/ hour jobs easily as well. Only the crackheadiest of the crackheads can't find a $20+/ hour job in Seattle within hours of knocking on doors at places like McDonalds.

If you're not a crackhead, it's amazing. What's even more amazing is that the cost of living, while high, is still low for a city of Seattle's caliber. It's still lower than Washington DC, for example, and Seattle is a much nicer city. It's way, way lower than San Francisco. Etc.

Yes, the cost of living has gone up. Yes, prices have gone up a little. HOWEVER, it's nothing at all like conservative economists said would happen. Not even close. High school dropouts can now easily make over $20 hour and live great and prices and employment opportunities are still amazing and way better than most cities of Seattle's caliber.

Take whatever the economic doomsday consequences conservative economists said were going to happen and it's probably 1% of that. The benefits of the higher minimum wage are totally worth it. Fuck the crackheads -- don't base your minimum wage around giving them jobs. Let them be captured up the by 1-2% rise in unemployment so everyone else gets to enjoy the benefits. Including you when you're not getting served by crackheads at McDonalds and get fluent English and smiles instead.

As long as you're not the absolute bottom tier crackhead of crackheads, these policies are great for you.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

Yes, the cost of living has gone up. Yes, prices have gone up a little. HOWEVER, it's nothing at all like conservative economists said would happen. Not even close. High school dropouts can now easily make over $20 hour and live great and prices and employment opportunities are still amazing and way better than most cities of Seattle's caliber.

Take whatever the economic doomsday consequences conservative economists said were going to happen and it's probably 1% of that. The benefits of the higher minimum wage are totally worth it. Fuck the crackheads -- don't base your minimum wage around giving them jobs. Let them be captured up the by 1-2% rise in unemployment so everyone else gets to enjoy the benefits. Including you when you're not getting served by crackheads at McDonalds and get fluent English and smiles instead.

As long as you're not the absolute bottom tier crackhead of crackheads, these policies are great for you.

Good post.

I think most people the main point behind raising the MW is to put a floor on suffering, not to make life rosy (rosier) for the middle and upper-middle class. Of course, it should be argued that all of society benefits when the struggles of the poor are lessened just a bit.

I'd like to see stats on turnover rates and productivity in MW workplaces. Fast food workers that make enough to have a dignified life are probably more likely to take their job seriously and be better at it than those who make shit and know that they'll soon have to leave for another job or have a side hustle in order to survive.

 

[Gregolian]

You people are just reading political propaganda. And yes, economic studies are political propaganda too. I used to work at a government research firm and whatever gets put out is put out to tell whoever is sponsoring the study what they want to hear. 99.9% of all studies you read are like that.

Talk to anyone that actually lives in Seattle.

The minimum wage is actually $13.50, not $15. It's being raised by ~$1 a year until it hits $15.

What's great is that the $13.50 minimum wage is actually just the floor now. Every single job, even dishwashing, pays over $15/ hour just like most low wage jobs never actually pay $7.25 in flyover country.

That means that you can move to Seattle, walk across the street, and be making $15-$20/ hour the same day you arrive just by knocking on the door at McDonalds. Jobs are plentiful.

It's much, much easier to find a job in Seattle than it is in conservative flyover meth country with $7.25 poverty minimum wages telling everyone that a $15/ hour minimum wage is a bad idea. Jobs are everywhere and good employees are in high demand by all employers. My low wage job couldn't hire enough people at over $20/ hour for burger flipping and they were trying really, really hard to find people.

The catch? It's harder for crackheads to find a job. The higher minimum wage only hurts crackheads. And not just crackheads -- they can still find $20+/ hour jobs easily as well. Only the crackheadiest of the crackheads can't find a $20+/ hour job in Seattle within hours of knocking on doors at places like McDonalds.

If you're not a crackhead, it's amazing. What's even more amazing is that the cost of living, while high, is still low for a city of Seattle's caliber. It's still lower than Washington DC, for example, and Seattle is a much nicer city. It's way, way lower than San Francisco. Etc.

Yes, the cost of living has gone up. Yes, prices have gone up a little. HOWEVER, it's nothing at all like conservative economists said would happen. Not even close. High school dropouts can now easily make over $20 hour and live great and prices and employment opportunities are still amazing and way better than most cities of Seattle's caliber.

Take whatever the economic doomsday consequences conservative economists said were going to happen and it's probably 1% of that. The benefits of the higher minimum wage are totally worth it. Fuck the crackheads -- don't base your minimum wage around giving them jobs. Let them be captured up the by 1-2% rise in unemployment so everyone else gets to enjoy the benefits. Including you when you're not getting served by crackheads at McDonalds and get fluent English and smiles instead.

As long as you're not the absolute bottom tier crackhead of crackheads, these policies are great for you.

Do you live in Seattle?

My job in the Courthouse, I applied for one down in Seattle.. hourly wage of $23 an hour at the LOW end of that range most jobs post. I'd be LOSING money by moving down to Seattle to work there and be doing the same thing I am up here.

Also, depending where you want to live in DC I could find a 500-600 sq foot place across the river for 900 a month where as fucking Seattle it's $1000 a month for a 200 foot prison cell.

Compare that to "flyover crackhead country" as you describe it like SLC... and the jobs I applied for out there this weekend would start me at $19 an hour (still more than the $16.91 I make now... come on Teamsters, just let me bump it to an even $17 already) and my cost of living would be $10k less per year out in SLC than it is in fucking BELLINGHAM.

I used to drive to Seattle once a week from Bellingham... Can't fucking stand that city personally.

I'd rather live in "flyover crackhead country"... at least I could afford to purchase a house out there. In Bellingham, 2 hours north of Seattle you have to pay close to half a mil for a fucking 2 bedroom 1 bath POS under 1000 sq ft. SLC, Georgia, other place you can get a like 4 bedroom 3.5 bath for a price like that.


Plus the fucking Mariners would cause me to fall into a constant deep depression for 8 months out of the year.


I'd also disagree with your assertion it's easier to find a job in Seattle. In my line of work, the legal field... I checked State, County, and City agencies and had 20 apps set up for SLC vs like 2 in the Seattle area.

 

[AznTrojan]

Wages for the golf course i run will go up 2500/week and thats just the minimum wage peeps. Now my guys with experience and actual skill will have to go up. Maybe thatll cost me another 2k a week. Explain to me how an aditional 20k/month in costs is good for our business.

Good thing more mowers are becoming gps driven. More jobs lost to over priced labour and convenient automation.

This will only hurt those that should be working for minimum wage. High school and university kids.

hook a sherdog bro up with a golf club membership

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

The other option is to get educate youth with skills that demand higher wages, leavening minimum wage for young earners.

BUT if you educate them, make them wealthy, have them pay 20+% of their paycheck in taxes, they will in turn not vote for socialist movements like the DNC.

 

[AznTrojan]

live on the eastside and get a roommate...

Do you live in Seattle?

My job in the Courthouse, I applied for one down in Seattle.. hourly wage of $23 an hour at the LOW end of that range most jobs post. I'd be LOSING money by moving down to Seattle to work there and be doing the same thing I am up here.

Also, depending where you want to live in DC I could find a 500-600 sq foot place across the river for 900 a month where as fucking Seattle it's $1000 a month for a 200 foot prison cell.

Compare that to "flyover crackhead country" as you describe it like SLC... and the jobs I applied for out there this weekend would start me at $19 an hour (still more than the $16.91 I make now... come on Teamsters, just let me bump it to an even $17 already) and my cost of living would be $10k less per year out in SLC than it is in fucking BELLINGHAM.

I used to drive to Seattle once a week from Bellingham... Can't fucking stand that city personally.

I'd rather live in "flyover crackhead country"... at least I could afford to purchase a house out there. In Bellingham, 2 hours north of Seattle you have to pay close to half a mil for a fucking 2 bedroom 1 bath POS under 1000 sq ft. SLC, Georgia, other place you can get a like 4 bedroom 3.5 bath for a price like that.


Plus the fucking Mariners would cause me to fall into a constant deep depression for 8 months out of the year.


I'd also disagree with your assertion it's easier to find a job in Seattle. In my line of work, the legal field... I checked State, County, and City agencies and had 20 apps set up for SLC vs like 2 in the Seattle area.

 

[Gregolian]

live on the eastside and get a roommate...

I would if my sole vehicle wasn't an F150 and any job I get in Seattle I'd have to be like RIGHT next to the jail.

 

[ultramanhyata]

$11/hr is certainly not an ideal wage there; just an ideal MW, in that it can be raised that high without observable negative effects (at least in a strong economy--might be a problem in a downturn).

I'm curious:

You, and neo-liberals like you, consider the minimum wage an economic essential yet oppose the idea of the minimum wage as a living wage. So on what basis therefore do you see the MW as a necessity?

 

[Jack V Savage]

I'm curious:

You, and neo-liberals like you, consider the minimum wage an economic essential yet oppose the idea of the minimum wage as a living wage. So on what basis therefore do you see the MW as a necessity?

I explained in this thread (and I don't know that I'd use the word "necessity"--"good policy" is better). I think that low-skill workers aren't in a good position to negotiate their wages fairly (the buyers and sellers of labor don't have the same amount of information about the market or the same motivation to make a deal). A MW protects them from getting fucked too hard. It's not the theoretically best way to fix the problem but it's the most practical decent way. I don't see it as being in any way related to inequality or a significant factor in a good anti-poverty approach.