For kicks and giggles I would like to hear what people believe it should be in their state and why.

Unfortunately here in Washington I feel everything will eventually move up to 15 an hour or at least near that given that seattle just recently enacted a 15 an hour minimum law. There are timelines in place for businesses of varying sizes to reach that minimum over a few years. As companies payroll significantly increases the costs have to be covered so prices will increase and that will cause a ripple effect forcing nearby areas to eventually increase to match the increased cost of living and so on... 

*shameless plug-in from Belgium*

*shameless plug-in from Belgium*

 

That's pretty cool.

 

All the evidence suggests rising wages in the lowest strata of society leads to the greatest overall growth in GDP which ultimately leads to an increase in wealth for the middle and upper strata too.

 

Ford was an interesting microcosmic example of how increasing worker wages leads to increased company growth. 

 

We also know that the states in the US which raised their minimum wages have, year on year, outperformed their counterparts who did not in terms of GDP growth and quality of life scores.

Unfortunately here in Washington I feel everything will eventually move up to 15 an hour or at least near that given that seattle just recently enacted a 15 an hour minimum law. There are timelines in place for businesses of varying sizes to reach that minimum over a few years. As companies payroll significantly increases the costs have to be covered so prices will increase and that will cause a ripple effect forcing nearby areas to eventually increase to match the increased cost of living and so on... 

There are people in Seattle that are now begging their bosses to reduce their hours so their income stays low enough to keep receiving their welfare. It's pathetic. State minimum wages have always been set to ensure our kids get a fair compensation for their work when starting their lives in the workforce. McDonald's and other business that do the heavy lifting hiring high school children to teach them what a work ethic is, and the importance of responsibility, are getting unfairly dragged into the failing unions and their constant quest for power.

 

There should be no such thing as a "Federal Minimum Wage". The cost of living is not the same in New York City as it is in Lubbock Texas, so it's a ridiculous notion. Minimum wage is not for a 28 year old man, married, with 2 kids, and a mortgage. I find it a bit hard to believe that American citizens would think so cheaply of their worth, to even entertain the thought, of wanting to maintain working, for the "minimum". States all set their own minimums... and there is no need for a Federal. It's only the constant beating of the Socialist drum to destroy Capitalism.

 

All Americans are equal under our Constitution... but not all Americans are equal in the workforce.

The head of my company received a 40 million dollar bonus in 2014-15 - for what exactly? No one really knows, but he gets to use the corporate jet a lot. In fact, 2014 he had the largest gap between his salary compared to the rest of the company, in the entire country.

 

Meanwhile my district manager used to push carts when he was 16, which if adjusted for inflation, would have paid him $10/hr today. Today he's probably making over $400K/year and all he does he walk in, look around, leave - and send nasty emails to us about how we're not working hard enough. He's got that generic corporate pompous attitude too. He wasted hundreds of hours on a  frivolous activity for the past 2 months. Reason? Well, even though we suffered at our level due to missing members, he'll get a bigger bonus.

 

How much did I make when I was hired at entry level? $8/hr - What's the difference? I make a mistake, I could kill someone, but had he ever made a mistake? A car scratch.

 

It's all fucking bullshit.

State minimum wages have always been set to ensure our kids get a fair compensation for their work when starting their lives in the workforce

 

Minimum wage when implemented was in fact intended to be a living wage.

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt said

 

 

"No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By 'business' I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of the industry; by workers I mean all workers, the white collar class as well as the men in overalls; and by living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level-I mean the wages of decent living. Without question it (the minimum wage) starts us toward a better standard of living and increases purchasing power to buy the products of farm and factory"

 

 

 

It's only the constant beating of the Socialist drum to destroy Capitalism.

 

 

Now corporations will stop at nothing for their own profit, and it is the governments duty to prevent them from pillaging the people. I know several people who work 70-80 hours a week and cannot support themselves because the only jobs they can get are "part-time" minimum wage jobs.

 

With that said I think most of the issues are based via the government, the taxes are not company friendly or employee friendly and the waste of tax dollars is immense. I believe we can institute a proper living wage for the minimum and make the taxes appropriate. 

 

 

 

 

The head of my company received a 40 million dollar bonus in 2014-15 - for what exactly? No one really knows, but he gets to use the corporate jet a lot. In fact, 2014 he had the largest gap between his salary compared to the rest of the company, in the entire country.

 

Remember that whole recession we had that nearly went into a depression? You know the one where us the tax payers bailed out the banks who recklessly spent our money?  No one actually guilty went to jail and all the guilty people gave themselves bonuses with our money. Bonuses when they broke the law...

 

 

@@onbekende, That is a good idea of what we should work towards, and make better because 'MURICA

I live in Connecticut, on the border of NY State, which means the cost of living in my area is very high! You cannot rent a tiny studio apartment in someone's basement in a not great neighborhood for less than $800 a month, and you'd be lucky to get it at that price.

 

This is a great site to use to figure out a living wage for any given state. With that said, it is based on the average in the state, which means that it is low for my area. http://livingwage.mit.edu/states/09

 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The first Socialist President. He did a lot of damage before there was a thing called "term limits". 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The first Socialist President. He did a lot of damage before there was a thing called "term limits". 

He kept getting reelected, clearly the people felt well served. As for his social programs, his reasoning for implementing them makes for an important lesson that I think you tend to ignore. FDR did not like the idea of welfare, however the American people were so poor and hopeless due to the Great Depression that they were starving and dying in the streets. There were many riots and there was a very real danger that the people were going to rise up and overthrow the government. Roosevelt created the social programs to reduce the suffering so that the republic would stand. And if for no other reason, that is why you should support those programs, if enough people get poor and desperate enough they will rise up against you. Maybe you will be safe, maybe not, either way your country will be screwed.

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The first Socialist President. He did a lot of damage before there was a thing called "term limits". 

 

 

He did an immense amount of good and proved that policies that some view as socialist benefit our nation as a whole. Also I cant help but notice that you ignored my point that minimum wage was indeed intended as a living wage when it was implemented. 

 

 

 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The first Socialist President. He did a lot of damage before there was a thing called "term limits". 

 

 

 

He did an immense amount of good and proved that policies that some view as socialist benefit our nation as a whole. Also I cant help but notice that you ignored my point that minimum wage was indeed intended as a living wage when it was implemented. 

I don't think the argument "he did good things for the people" holds much weight with Lys. No offense to anyone, but your idea of good and Lys's idea of good may not be too similar, that is why I gave the above information, I suspect it is the kind of persuasion Lys might relate to.

 

 

He kept getting reelected, clearly the people felt well served. As for his social programs, his reasoning for implementing them makes for an important lesson that I think you tend to ignore. FDR did not like the idea of welfare, however the American people were so poor and hopeless due to the Great Depression that they were starving and dying in the streets. There were many riots and there was a very real danger that the people were going to rise up and overthrow the government. Roosevelt created the social programs to reduce the suffering so that the republic would stand. And if for no other reason, that is why you should support those programs, if enough people get poor and desperate enough they will rise up against you. Maybe you will be safe, maybe not, either way your country will be screwed.

FDR and all his programs did nothing but spread the misery. Like Obama, he never allowed the country to hit the bottom and recover. It was years and years of pain. He had one shot to pull us out of depression, and that was to get us into the war. That worked.

 

 

Also I cant help but notice that you ignored my point that minimum wage was indeed intended as a living wage when it was implemented. 

If everyone makes the same "living wage", then everyone has to work to be living. This doesn't leave too much time and space to raise a family, for kids to go to school, for Mothers to be Moms. When you create a "living wage", you will destroy what is left of the middle class. Millions of people making more than your "living wage" will suddenly have to be cut to create the new middle class. This ends Capitalism. We would now have poor people, and those lucky enough to own the places that pay everyone shit money for what they do... until the government steps in and seizes all private business because "it's not fair", and then we are Communist. Thanks for thinking... but no thanks.

 

Also I cant help but notice that you ignored my point that minimum wage was indeed intended as a living wage when it was implemented. 

If everyone makes the same "living wage", then everyone has to work to be living. This doesn't leave too much time and space to raise a family, for kids to go to school, for Mothers to be Moms. When you create a "living wage", you will destroy what is left of the middle class. Millions of people making more than your "living wage" will suddenly have to be cut to create the new middle class. This ends Capitalism. We would now have poor people, and those lucky enough to own the places that pay everyone shit money for what they do... until the government steps in and seizes all private business because "it's not fair", and then we are Communist. Thanks for thinking... but no thanks.

 

 

Do you have any data or examples on your feelings there that back them? Studies, papers or essays from a reputable source?

 

 

 

 

FDR and all his programs did nothing but spread the misery. Like Obama, he never allowed the country to hit the bottom and recover. It was years and years of pain. He had one shot to pull us out of depression, and that was to get us into the war. That worked.

 

So wait... You are not a fan of the repeal of prohibition? The Securities act of 1933?  What about the Works progress Administration that built hundreds if not thousands of roads, dams and buildings that we still use today, and employed 8.5 million people in its time?

 

Also that is fine if you don't like FDR, but it doesn't change the fact that minimum wage was meant to be a livable wage and in 2014 77.2 million workers age 16+ are working for that total, which represented 58.7% of all wage and salary workers; being as more assembly jobs have left the US than entered since then it would be safe to assume that percentage has gotten worse.

 

 

I don't think the argument "he did good things for the people" holds much weight with Lys. No offense to anyone, but your idea of good and Lys's idea of good may not be too similar, that is why I gave the above information, I suspect it is the kind of persuasion Lys might relate to.

 

 

Sorry I was under the assumption that bringing us out of the Depression and at minimum doubling our countries infrastructure was obviously good.

 

@@onbekende, That is a good idea of what we should work towards, and make better because 'MURICA

 

 

Well the fun part is that the Index mentioned is linked to not just "minimal wage", it is linked to a whole range of social programs (unemployment, pensions, healthcare deposits, ...) but also to the "paying side" of the economy: taxes, rent, ...

 

Offcourse it gets fiddled with more then needed by any side of the political spectrum, but it has been around from after WW2 (already excisted 1920, but it was a kinda different thing then) and is thusfar still unique in the world. It is also not a flat x = a . y formula used to calculate all the things it governs, there are scaling factors, dampening times (aka only once a year for stuff), ...

 

Sorry I was under the assumption that bringing us out of the Depression and at minimum doubling our countries infrastructure was obviously good.

Commie!

Wow I didn't say "country's". This is why proof reading should be a thing

What's the lowest state mandated minimum wage in the US?

What's the lowest state mandated minimum wage in the US?

The Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25 an hour. This is the lowest it can be anywhere, since Federal law will over-ride any state attempt to have a lower minimum wage. States can pass law to be higher than $7.25... but not lower.

Yes, but what is the next lowest, which is state mandated out of the 50 states

 

He kept getting reelected, clearly the people felt well served. As for his social programs, his reasoning for implementing them makes for an important lesson that I think you tend to ignore. FDR did not like the idea of welfare, however the American people were so poor and hopeless due to the Great Depression that they were starving and dying in the streets. There were many riots and there was a very real danger that the people were going to rise up and overthrow the government. Roosevelt created the social programs to reduce the suffering so that the republic would stand. And if for no other reason, that is why you should support those programs, if enough people get poor and desperate enough they will rise up against you. Maybe you will be safe, maybe not, either way your country will be screwed.

FDR and all his programs did nothing but spread the misery. Like Obama, he never allowed the country to hit the bottom and recover. It was years and years of pain. He had one shot to pull us out of depression, and that was to get us into the war. That worked.

A depression largely caused by a near total lack of regulation and common sense regarding our financial institutions.

 

I'm wondering how you can ignore the French and Russian revolutions? Did you not learn that severe, widespread poverty leads to dissent and uprisings? You don't have to be a communist to know that Karl Marx was right about that particular dynamic. Communism was gaining popularity here. FDR preserved the republic by creating those programs.

Yes, but what is the next lowest, which is state mandated out of the 50 states

 

About 25% of the way down this page is a table of the current, and planned future increases (if any) in minimum wages in each state:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx

 

Of states that have chosen to have a minimum wage above the federal minimum one, the lowest are:

 

Maine: $7.50/hr (though scheduled to increase to $9.00/hr on 01/01/2017)

New Mexico: $7.50/hr

Missouri: $7.65/hr (this value is automatically updated annually based on the Consumer Price Index)

 

Within each state, counties and cities may increase their minimum wage above the federal one and state one (if it exists).  So for example, New Mexico statewide is $7.50/hr, but it is $8.75/hr in Albuquerque and $10.91/hr in Santa Fe.  Local ordinances can be highly important: in the case of New Mexico, those two cities represent 30% of the state population, and probably a higher proportion of jobs in the state, as people who commute into the cities for work will be subject to the increased minimum wage.

Yes, but what is the next lowest, which is state mandated out of the 50 states

There is a Federal Minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Some States do not have a State Minimum at all... like Alabama and South Carolina. That means they don't want one, and are forced to use the Federal. Some States have a minimum, but have not bothered to raise it because they just go by the Federal. A more interesting question would be which state has the highest... but States like Washington have city minimums that are going way higher than that.

 

I really can't wrap my head around this whole minimum thing. I haven't even thought about the minimum since I was making it back in 1977 when I got my first job in a record store. It was $2.50 an hour, and that was 20 cents higher than the Federal at the time because California was well on their way to become the worst state to live in. I myself, rapidly decided that the minimum was not where I wanted to be, and quickly left that income bracket behind. I have not concerned myself with a minimum wage ever since. I highly recommend everyone else to do the same... your life will be astronomically more enjoyable.

 

Yes, but what is the next lowest, which is state mandated out of the 50 states

There is a Federal Minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Some States do not have a State Minimum at all... like Alabama and South Carolina. That means they don't want one, and are forced to use the Federal. Some States have a minimum, but have not bothered to raise it because they just go by the Federal. A more interesting question would be which state has the highest... but States like Washington have city minimums that are going way higher than that.

 

I really can't wrap my head around this whole minimum thing. I haven't even thought about the minimum since I was making it back in 1977 when I got my first job in a record store. It was $2.50 an hour, and that was 20 cents higher than the Federal at the time because California was well on their way to become the worst state to live in. I myself, rapidly decided that the minimum was not where I wanted to be, and quickly left that income bracket behind. I have not concerned myself with a minimum wage ever since. I highly recommend everyone else to do the same... your life will be astronomically more enjoyable.

 

 

The thing is you should be concerned about it because it does impact you. An appropriate minimum wage helps the economy more than it hurts it. Especially when you consider that there are not enough jobs above minimum wage to employee everyone if they were all capable of going into those higher brackets. However let me tell you a story about someone who did what you said.

 

I had a friend who worked as a manager for a mill for a couple years after graduating college with a business degree. He still owed $30,000 and the interest rate wasn't favorable. During the housing crash the mill closed down. He lost his job, house, and a car that was nearly paid off all because the only jobs he could get were minimum wage. This guy didn't drink, do drugs, party, have kids or even spend in excess. However working 70 hours a week he was unable to keep anything except for the debt of course.

 

A situation like this is why Capitalism without regulation can be more evil than any other.