Something to think about regarding government set Minimum Wage

[TheConstitutionLives]

I heard on the radio that Oregon always maintains a percentage point or two higher unemployment than the national average. Oregon's minimum wage is like $8.45 an hour. During this economic downfall Oregon is having to lay off more than most other states b/c it would be illegal to keep people employed at a rate the employer could afford. With government mandated wage laws comes increased unemployment. How many of the people laid off would willingly take a paycut in order to keep their job today? The government is screwing up this PRIVATE arrangement. The government is trying desparately to to get unemployment down yet it won't allow it to happen. Two consenting parties to could agree to work for less in order to maintain employment but it would be illegal to do so.

Just like "marriage", "unions", or any other private contract, the government is fuking it up. Government's job is to enforce contracts, not set the terms.

 

[nate895]

Isn't the basic argument against the minimum wage?

 

[FindLiberty]

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:
>From bondage to spiritual faith;
>From spiritual faith to great courage;
>From courage to liberty;
>From liberty to abundance;
>From abundance to selfishness;
>From selfishness to complacency;
>From complacency to apathy;
>From apathy to dependency;
>From dependency back into bondage.

Gee, no mention of minimum wages here or in the Constitution. Lets vote for a pay raise!

 

[TheConstitutionLives]

Isn't the basic argument against the minimum wage?

- Of course, it's "obvious". But it's another real time example going on in Oregon that some folks may not have considered.

 

[Roxi]

when the minimum wage increases (federal) we have to let 3 people go (we are allowed a specific dollar amount for payroll each week based on last years sales)

 

[Icymudpuppy]

Washington's minimum wage is 8.76. Higher than Oregon's.

Not that I pay anybody minimum wage anyway.

 

[brandon]

- Of course, it's "obvious". But it's another real time example going on in Oregon that some folks may not have considered.

It's obvious to the people at this forum. ie your preaching to the choir.

Unfortunately, it's not obvious to most of the brain dead public.

 

[TastyWheat]

Unfortunately, it's not obvious to most of the brain dead public.

Brain dead and deaf. On another forum I kept mentioning fact after fact about how the minimum wage hurts unemployment and inexperienced workers. He never once responded to what I said.

 

[dgr]

Minimun wage history. During the "progressive period " the Supreme Court Decision West Coast Hotels vs Parrish, the Court reversed its rarlier decision on minimun wage saying " it is not the responsibility of the goverment to supplement the wages of unscrupleous employers" the minimun wage was established as "the wage necessary to substain life", and called living wage. The court also said it is not the function of goverment to contribuite to the support of business.
This ruling was once again reversed under the Clinton Administration and the minimun wage became the legal wage, allowed under law.

 

[Objectivist]

Isn't the basic argument against the minimum wage?

It's the FACT about minimum wage and if you looked historically at the people minimum wage has had a negative effect on, you'd find out it does hurt more than help.

Nice rock!

 

[Objectivist]

It's obvious to the people at this forum. ie your preaching to the choir.

Unfortunately, it's not obvious to most of the brain dead public.

You mean the people that have been brainwashed into thinking the wealthy are the devils and the politicians that steal from those devils are saviors?

 

[Zippyjuan]

27 states have higher minimum wages than the Federal standard. http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm
Back in December (the most recent state by state figures I can find) the national unemployment rate was 7.2% http://dunner99.blogspot.com/2009/02/us-unemployment-rates-december-2008.html
At that time, thirteen states plus the District of Columbia had the same or higher unemployment rate- that is about one fourth of all states. Just on math alone, that means that at least half the states with higher minimum wages than the Federal rate had lower unemployment rates than the national average. http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/state_unemployment/

But it is also true that of the 13 states with above average unemployment, nine of those are above average in their minimum wage. But is also means that eighteen states offering above the Federal Minimum wage and still had a below the national average unemployment in December. That would be two thirds of them.

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that two percent of people earned the Federal minimum wage or less in 2007. http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2007.htm
A look in 2006 at who minimum wage earners tend to be:
http://www.heritage.org/research/economy/wm1186.cfm