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Just-Me-07's Blog

by Just-Me-07 from Troy, NC

Last Post 22 days, 21 hours Ago


Minimum Wage
Jan 21, 2008 | 8:11 AM
Category: News
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Lately, the subject of minimum wage has been on the news.  A group in greensboro is working to get enough signatures on a petition to get the MW raised there.  Richard Moore, running for govenor, is supporting minimum wage increase.  Several of the presidential candidates have also spoke of the need.  My question is, do these people realize that they are only hurting the people they are claiming to help.  Not only them but everyone except the very wealthy will be hurt by a raise in minimum wage. 

First, these minimum wage jobs were never intended to be jobs that  could support a family.  These jobs are jobs that require little or no training thus another reason for the low pay. 

Secondly, the majority of these jobs are in the service industry, food stores, burger shacks, restaurants, etc.   IF the minimum wage is raised the owners of the businesses are not going to loose money so they are going to raise the price of everything they sell.  This person that is working for minimum wage is only going to have to pay more for everything they buy but so is everyone else.  Sure, they are bringing home more money each payday but they are spending much more for what they buy.  If you want to help these people with the low paying jobs, train them for better paying jobs and leave the minimum wage jobs for the high school students that are trying to go to school and make a little money on the side.  Now don't start yelling at me about not respecting high school students.  That is not what I said.  Many students want jobs so they can make some spending money while attending school.  They use these jobs because there is little training needed and the responsibilities are less than that of higher paying jobs that would require them to work more and study less. 

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Member Comments Total Comments: 6
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northdavidsondad read my blog view my photos
Jan 21, 2008 | 10:05 AM

I disagree on your second statement to where you said that if they raise the minimum wage, the store owners will raise their prices. They haven't raised the minimum wage in quite a while now, but the stores are always raising their prices. That is blamed on one thing: fuel costs. I remember the first job I ever had. It was in 1988, at a Winn-Dixie in Lexington. I was making minimum wage: $3.50 an hour. I thought I was the man. It bought my gas and my school supplies. I felt like I had total independence, cause I did not have to go to my parents or grandparents to borrow money to get the things I needed.
eholder1 read my blog view my photos
Jan 21, 2008 | 1:17 PM

WPM there was a minimum wage increase last year in NC and another coming this year:

NORTH CAROLINA MINIMUM WAGE


The current minimum wage in North Carolina is $6.15 an hour. Effective July 24, 2007, the federal minimum wage will increase from $5.15 per hour in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. In North Carolina, employers are required to pay the higher of the state or federal minimum wages. So, the minimum wage employers are required to pay their employees in North Carolina will remain at $6.15 per hour until July 24, 2008, when it will increase to $6.55 per hour.

However, while the increase in the federal minimum wage to $5.85 per hour on July 24, 2007, will not affect the minimum wage in North Carolina, it will have an impact on businesses where employees receive tips. This is because the increase in the federal minimum wage by seventy cents creates a corresponding increase in the amount of the tip credit that employers are allowed to count toward the payment of wages for their tipped employees. The following chart shows how the changes to the federal minimum wage will affect the tip credit allowed for tipped employees in North Carolina.

Effective July 24, 2007, an employer may pay as little as $2.43 an hour to tipped employees as long as each employee receives enough in tips to make up the difference between the wages paid and the minimum wage. Effective July 24, 2008, employers may pay as little as $2.13.
eholder1 read my blog view my photos
Jan 21, 2008 | 1:22 PM

Sorry, I meant NDD not WPM! Point is that what is being said here is true. It's a vicious cycle that keeps profit margins as high as possible and the little guy constantly left behind trying to afford the basics. Everytime us little guys need a raise to afford the basics, the profit margin must index accordingly to appease stockholders, thus resulting in higher prices for the goods and services offered. We cannot avoid the reality of it. My question is, when do we realize that this rationale is not working?
eholder1 read my blog view my photos
Jan 21, 2008 | 1:27 PM

A good example of this is the auto industry. Traditionally in the past, auto workers were some of the highest paid labor jobs in America. We all know what the cost of a new car is. If you will analyze price increases for vehicles over the past several years, a trend emerges. Higer cost of materials and higer employee costs cooincide with the higher prices of those vehicles. That doesn't account for the additional fact that the cost of living typically adjusts to the highest paying jobs in an area making it harder and harder for the lesser paid to keep up.
THECONCERNED read my blog
Jan 21, 2008 | 8:02 PM

I SURELY UNDERSTAND, THIS IS WHAT I CALL TICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS, WITH A CATCH 22.
lbanks read my blog view my photos
Feb 14, 2008 | 10:49 PM

Thank you so much for your comments on racial
unity. Axe's comments is how he honestly feels. There are other people who feel and thinks as he does. That's why education and an honest examination of ones self needs to be taught.

I was fortunate enough to come from a family that taught me how to love, endure, pray and except every one.

Again, thank you

Lois Banks
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Just-Me-07

I have been married for 30 years and have two sons of my own as well as a step son and two step daughters. We have several grandchildren and each one is a light in our lives. I am retired from a state agency (early retirement) and currently drive a truck for a local company. In my spare time, I enjoy doing some woodworking in the small shop that I have at my home and my children and grandchildren have all benefited from my hobby.

Member Since: 3/9/2007


 

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