Quote:
Originally Posted by Relentless
Minimum Wage ought to be a State by State decision.
7.25 * 40 hours = 290 per week for a full time employee.
290x52 = 15K per year
You have little chance of surviving on 15K per year in New York, but you might be able to eek out an existence on that amount in Mississippi. So it would make sense that States each set a minimum wage to correspond to the cost of living in that location. It would also allow States to compete for workers, raising the minimum wage to bring in a workforce when demand exists etc..
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Actually most states do have their own minimum wage. If you would educate yourself on the topic you would know this.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm#Consolidated
And no you can't live on $15,000 a year ANYWHERE. People making only $15K a year be eligible for some kind of government assistance which is what we are trying to avoid. The lone except is a single person with no dependents. But even they can't live on $15K a year. After FICA and income taxes are taken out a single person making minimum wage is only left with $13,300 a year to live on. And of course that's not counting other taxes he'd pay like state income taxes or sales taxes, gas taxes etc etc. In my state you get taxed 8.25% on FOOD. And I'm not talking just McDonald's and shit I'm talking groceries.
The problem with the minimum wage is that it stays the same for years then has to be increase by huge amounts. Businesses and republicans don't want to raise it so they delay delay delay. But it ALWAYS gets raised eventually and in the end these business end up hurting themselves when they get $2 increases in the minimum wage. Congress needs to raise the minimum wage one more time then after that have it increase annually based on CPI. It's better for workers and business because they will KNOW it's coming and how much it will be instead of sitting around thinking for 10 years "oh god I hope they don't raise the minimum wage this year." then one day "Oh damn now I have to pay out $2 an hour more?" It also helps because it no longer becomes a political issue.