How can minimum wage be eliminated?

[muh_roads]

It seems to me we first need to abolish the fed and reinstitute a gold standard before we can eliminate the minimum wage. Why is this wrong?

People need enough money to eat. If wages can't keep up with inflation then that is rude to people at the bottom. Minimum wage is not the prime cause of inflation. I'm sure it is people at the top printing more money for themselves.

 

[Brassmouth]

The minimum wage causes unemployment, particularly among the poor and youth populations. Eliminating it ASAP is ideal.

Of course, that will be impossible as long as the State exists.

 

[pahs1994]

That seems like a fair progression of events. Fed>Gold> min wage.
Who says that it is wrong?

off topic but an easier way for alot of this to happen is to get in state legislatures and then have a con-con. But people on this board seem terrifyed by that idea and think that anyone who suggests it wants to destroy the movement. Why?

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Replace it with a maximum wage...

Then they might give the lowly workers the excess money they can't pay themselves.

 

[revolutionisnow]

Who is buying all the gold to put us on the gold standard? We are a bankrupt country. As far as minimum wage, minimum wage is not a livable wage and never will be. In the same way that you can create a widget with your hands and set the price as you see fit, you should be able to do this with your labor also. Supply and demand will set a fair price for services. The problem of illegal immigration directly relates to this though, as with a large pool of unskilled labor it decreases wages. Legal work visas also contribute to this problem.

 

[muh_roads]

Replace it with a maximum wage...

Then they might give the lowly workers the excess money they can't pay themselves.

lol sounds socialist. like a union only much more extreme.

 

[Epic]

Who is buying all the gold to put us on the gold standard? We are a bankrupt country. As far as minimum wage, minimum wage is not a livable wage and never will be. In the same way that you can create a widget with your hands and set the price as you see fit, you should be able to do this with your labor also. Supply and demand will set a fair price for services. The problem of illegal immigration directly relates to this though, as with a large pool of unskilled labor it decreases wages. Legal work visas also contribute to this problem.

Uhh whoever wants to buy gold can buy gold. You don't need some government program to give people gold.

 

[Brassmouth]

The problem of illegal immigration directly relates to this though, as with a large pool of unskilled labor it decreases wages. Legal work visas also contribute to this problem.

 

[erowe1]

We do have to eliminate the Fed. But that's not a pre-requisite for abolishing the minimum wage. The minimum wage is always wrong and needs to be abolished no matter what, with or without the Fed.

Not everybody needs to make enough to eat, and even if everybody did need to in some imaginary world where nobody takes care of anybody else including their own children, it would still be wrong for the government to intervene in the economic agreements made freely between two parties. If somebody wants to have the right to offer their labor for $1/hour, nobody else has the right to stop them.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

lol sounds socialist. like a union only much more extreme.

Isn't this a socialist country? Is there any difference in the government meddling in minimum wages vs. maximum wages?

Our current system (and more so in the past) attempts to create a "maximum" wage/income by having a progressive tax system. The government takes the excess money. I would prefer a maximum wage, where the business can decide where to spend that excess money (increase wages for other employees, invest in the business, etc.) instead of handing it over to our "wise" politicians and government to spend.

 

[revolutionisnow]

Its not just "brown people". In resort areas all across America right now they acquire Russians/East Bloc students/young adults who are willing to come here and work for the summer for next to nothing. Why is this needed when unemployment is near 10%? And if we are going to allow unchecked immigration, or easily acquirable work visas, how about in every field? I bet if we try hard enough we can make it so even once high paying jobs such as dentist or doctor will only pay 35k a year through the miracle of a global labor pool. Instead of masseuses making $100 an hour, just acquire some people from 3rd worlds willing to do the same job for $100 a month.

 

[erowe1]

I bet if we try hard enough we can make it so even once high paying jobs such as dentist or doctor will only pay 35k a year through the miracle of a global labor pool.

That sounds like a great way to reduce health care costs.

 

[Zippyjuan]

General question for everybody- if they got rid of the minimum wage- what is the lowest wage you personally would be willing to accept to do a job? $5 an hour? $5 a day? How low are you willing to go? If there was only one employer in town and you had to bid on your wage to get a job- how low would you go? If you do not go low enough, you do not get the job because somebody else is willing to do it for less. Lowest wage bid gets the job. Without it- you starve.

"Well, I would find a better paying job somewhere else" is not acceptable here. If somebody else has to accept $1 an hour, then so do you in this case.

Maybe a secondary but possibly related question- of those who would like to get rid of the minimum wage- how many of you currently are paid the minimum wage? It is easy to tell somebody they should be paid less- are you willing to be paid less too?

 

[ItsTime]

There is no min wage now. Too many illegals.


And they are not just taking min wage jobs, I know they are taking jobs that use to pay $35+ an hour.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

That sounds like a great way to reduce health care costs.

Nice in theory. The reality is that most of the doctors at many HMOs have been replaced by imported, cheaper doctors, and the costs are still skyrocketing. Labor is not the big factor in our health-care crisis. Blame lawyers, insurance, big pharma and government/corporate monopolized medicine before you blame doctors.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

General question for everybody- if they got rid of the minimum wage- what is the lowest wage you personally would be willing to accept to do a job? $5 an hour? $5 a day? How low are you willing to go? If there was only one employer in town and you had to bid on your wage to get a job- how low would you go? If you do not go low enough, you do not get the job because somebody else is willing to do it for less. Lowest wage bid gets the job. Without it- you starve.

That would result in - god forbid - Anarchy!

 

[Brassmouth]

Its not just "brown people". In resort areas all across America right now they acquire Russians/East Bloc students/young adults who are willing to come here and work for the summer for next to nothing. Why is this needed when unemployment is near 10%? And if we are going to allow unchecked immigration, or easily acquirable work visas, how about in every field? I bet if we try hard enough we can make it so even once high paying jobs such as dentist or doctor will only pay 35k a year through the miracle of a global labor pool. Instead of masseuses making $100 an hour, just acquire some people from 3rd worlds willing to do the same job for $100 a month.

You are assuming that the imaginary line between United States and the rest of the world is legitimate.

This is a global market. If Russians want to come here and work for next to nothing, they should be free to do so. So what if the spoiled American wants a cozy, high-paying job? He has to earn it! He's not entitled.

The logical conclusion of your labor protectionism is self-sufficiency. That, needless to say, would mean mass starvation and death.

 

[revolutionisnow]

General question for everybody- if they got rid of the minimum wage- what is the lowest wage you personally would be willing to accept to do a job? $5 an hour? $5 a day? How low are you willing to go? If there was only one employer in town and you had to bid on your wage to get a job- how low would you go? If you do not go low enough, you do not get the job because somebody else is willing to do it for less. Lowest wage bid gets the job. Without it- you starve.

"Well, I would find a better paying job somewhere else" is not acceptable here. If somebody else has to accept $1 an hour, then so do you in this case.

Maybe a secondary but possibly related question- of those who would like to get rid of the minimum wage- how many of you currently are paid the minimum wage? It is easy to tell somebody they should be paid less- are you willing to be paid less too?

Minimum wage sets the bar lower than it would normally be. It is a low reference point. Without this point it would fluctuate. In some prosperous cities you would need to pay people x to find good help, in others where there is a large labor pool you would be able to pay them lower. The market would determine the wage, and it would be much higher than 6 an hour. I can sell my widgets for any price I like since there is no minimum widget price, but that does not mean I am willing to sell them for $1 each.

 

[gls]

off topic but an easier way for alot of this to happen is to get in state legislatures and then have a con-con. But people on this board seem terrifyed by that idea and think that anyone who suggests it wants to destroy the movement. Why?

Look at where democracy has gotten us. The majority of people are delusional. Everyone thinks they can live off everyone else. Hardly anyone even considers the idea of limiting government. A con-con would probably end up guaranteeing the "right" to free health care, the "right" to a free college education, etc.

As far as the minimum wage, it should be repealed immediately. The fact is that it costs jobs and is a drag on the entire economy. The Limousine Liberals who craft this type of legislation must hate poor people because they sure aren't doing them any favors.

 

[Bman]

An easy fix would be refusing to work for minimum wage.