Comments on: Our Disgraceful Minimum Wage

By: tokoloshi27

tokoloshi27 — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Warren; you kind of have a point on maximum CEO salaries, the problem is, does this include the incentives, bonuses and other perqs which would be difficult to track and benchmark, given our lawyer-heavy system.

The stated reason why our Executive salaries are so high is the “competitive” nature of those positions (according to those describing the current system) – naturally any Monday morning quarterback could probably do as well as they could but what governs is the surface perceptions in publicly traded companies. If you ‘have’ to pay someone like Ken Lay a lot of money it must mean he is in demand – which is the market’s only yardstick for future performance – until they crash-and-burn (like ENRON).

By: theeye

theeye — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:58:00 +0000

While I find your words true about the low pay of the bottom third of the workforce, they can never escape the shakles of poverty, unless we scrap the minimum wage and replace it with the living wage. The minimum wage is designed to keep the poor that way forever. The living wage will lift the hard working low wage earner out of poverty and into dignity. The living wage is an average of costs to live in your area, it contains rent, utilities, food, transportation, education, health care, and possibly some savings. It is changed once a year by the cost of living average and raised of lowered by how much it rises or falls. This way the poor worker doesn’t have to beg congress for more money to get by. Waiting for action from congress sometimes takes many years and when they do get a raise in the minimum, it has already been taken by inflation. By paying our lowest paid workers more they will contribute more taxes, and reduce the burden of government payouts for food, housing, medical care, etc.

By: Warren Nicholson

Warren Nicholson — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:31:00 +0000

I have a sister teaching in Japan, she would disagree with you about the cost of living in that country and her wages are 4 times what she would get here. So maybe you should look at the high cost of management in this country.

By: Warren Nicholson

Warren Nicholson — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:04:00 +0000

A couple of points that both Dominick and Toko missed in compairing wages between the US and Europe/Japan. One reason is the excessive high pay for management in this counrty. In Japan there is a maxime pay law that keeps the CEO pay at 35 times the lowest wage in the company. The other point I would like to make is that if the minum wage was high enough, then everone could pay income taxes and Mitt would care about them.

By: phantomoftheopera

phantomoftheopera — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:30:00 +0000

too bad facts interfer with your opinion. check out dtgrahams comment.

beyond that, there is a morality issue. what if the job is really worth $40? or at $20 you can’t feed your family? the government wouldn’t need to establish a minimum wage if employers did the “right thing” paying their employees. but they don’t. they want to maximize their bottom line, at the expense of their workers. you can bet they don’t decrease their own pay! and since most people need to work, someone will always be willing to take the lower pay. isn’t that what conservatives always claim is happening with the illegals? can’t have it both ways, people.

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Can any make sense of this rant?

By: Douglas Wible

Douglas Wible — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Jackass

By: dtgraham

dtgraham — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:59:00 +0000

PingMan says “let the market determine what the value of the work is.” Funny thing that. You’ve got workers in low wage countries making athletic shoes that sell in the developed world for $150.00-$200.00 a pair. Sure looks to me like they’re creating a lot of value, but they’re getting paid pennies an hour to do it.

You can point out the higher wage wealthy European countries whose economies upset their ideological applecart, or even a neighbouring country whose minimum wage policies successfully break all of their libertarian rules, but it’s no use. It’s just a religion to these people. It doesn’t have to be true. It doesn’t even have to make sense. It can be shown to be demonstrably wrong, but it’s still right. Praise Ayn’s holy name.

By: PingMan0843

PingMan0843 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:41:00 +0000

I am really trying to understand your logic here. How do you think the value of a job is determined and by whom? What evidence do you have that government has any role in defining the value of a job? Don’t you see how by setting the minimum wage too high, employers just do away with these entry level jobs? Imagine you have $20 to have a tree trimmed, but the government says you must pay $40. What would you do? I would keep the money and do it myself and I think you would likely do the same.

By: oneMALEopinion

oneMALEopinion — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:45:00 +0000

The workers in the private sector left the unions a long time ago. They felt like they were being used to destroy companys. Working hand and hand with the democrats (progresives). First they would demand more money for wages then the democrates demanded more taxes. And as you said giving tax breaks for those who would leave the country. At the same time the goverment only bought from the lowest bider. That drove busnisess out of the country! This would provied a low price for bid contracts. While countries like japan got large tax breaks in this country. That’s why GM has trouble competing even now! So tax breaks are going both ways! 60% of the country should be getting 80-120k per year.That pays for vacations, kids collage,retirment, home repair,new car, all on a single income.That also makes more tax dollars for the state for schools,fire,police libraries parks and other state run facelitys,Right now 64% live in poverty. With 25% rich that only leaves 11% in middle income.If you want the middle class to get us out of this your about 25 yrs. to late! Are out come looks the same just another opinion why!!