minimum wage hikes can destroy small business

R

republicanchick

New member
One thing I don't agree w/ O'Reilly on is minimum wage.

Heck, I am not even sure I believe in a federal minimum wage at all, or any minimum wage.

Even so, I suppose if there were no law about minimum wage, an employer could pay someone.. $2 an hour (?) and I do know of a business that was paying exactly that, even just 10 yrs ago... It was a waitress job and they figured there would be tips to increase the "wages" but the waiters were not getting good tips, at least not consistently. So... yeh, $2 is ridiculous

But then again, waiters/waitresses didn't stick around. The employers who pay more will always get the better employees, the ones who will WANT to stick around and do a good job b/c they are getting paid well. Many companies (surprise, surprise) understand this and offer good wages and benefits (pay more than min. wage) so employees will stay, and they won't have to deal with high turnover/training new hires.. which things are costly to business.

That was the ONLY restaurant I have ever heard of that had such a ridiculously low wage... and again, no one ever stayed there long.

So anyway, if there is going to be something like a minimum wage, it should be set by the states, not the federal gov. But again, I wonder if we should even have one...

Most employers are not stupid enough to pay people $2/hr. Eventually, the employer will get tired of

  • being short on help,
  • having workers who don't want to work,
  • having workers who call in sick b/c they are looking for a better job...




++
 
R

republicanchick

New member
oh, I forgot my main point, how min. wage hikes can destroy small business. Well, it goes w/o saying that if an employer has to pay employees $10 an hour when he started his business paying people $7, he may end up going out of business.

Restaurants operate at a low profit margin, usually. The food service business is labor intensive and of course we all know how high food prices are...

so some business will definitely go out of business if they are forced (key word here) to pay wages they cannot afford to pay



+++
 
Rusha

Rusha

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
republicanchick said:
oh, I forgot my main point, how min. wage hikes can destroy small business. Well, it goes w/o saying that if an employer has to pay employees $10 an hour when he started his business paying people $7, he may end up going out of business.

Restaurants operate at a low profit margin, usually. The food service business is labor intensive and of course we all know how high food prices are...

so some business will definitely go out of business if they are forced (key word here) to pay wages they cannot afford to pay

+++
Click to expand...

Oh that's too bad. Shame on those poor people for expecting a decent wage to go hand in hand with the hard work that is expected of them.
 
A

aikido7

BANNED
Banned
People who are trying to raise children and provide rent and food cannot do it on minimum wages. Every recent poll taken shows about 2 thirds of all Americans believe some sort of hike in worker's wages is necessary.

And there are plenty examples and studies that show wage hikes do not unduly affect profits. There are plenty of charts and articles online that will back me up on this.

http://www.dol.gov/minwage/mythbuster.htm

If, on the other hand, you are the kind of conservative that thinks other citizens regardless of their specific circumstances need to "fend for themselves," then there is no reason for me to post to you on this topic any further.
 
Last edited:
Daniel1611

Daniel1611

New member
The minimum wage has been raised multiple times over the years and has yet to "destroy" small business. As far as your assertion that business wouldn't pay lower wages...why do you think we have a minimum wage? Because business were paying lower wages.

I agree with abolishing the minimum wage...in favor of a living waging.
 
Buzzword

Buzzword

New member
My father has owned his own business since 1988.

He has yet to pay an employee anywhere NEAR as low as minimum wage, including myself as a teenage janitor.
When I was a teenager, the minimum wage was $5.15/hour.
He paid me $7.50/hour, and I was his lowest-paid employee ever.

Minimum wage hikes only hurt those businesses who exploit their employees, or who expanded too fast before being solidified in their community.

My father now employs nearly a hundred people in my hometown, and has consistently maintained a living wage for every single one of them because he expanded slowly and meticulously, and put down deep roots as an active, supportive member of the community.

He, and business owners like him, has nothing to fear from a minimum wage hike.
 
Rusha

Rusha

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
Buzzword said:
My father has owned his own business since 1988.

He has yet to pay an employee anywhere NEAR as low as minimum wage, including myself as a teenage janitor.
When I was a teenager, the minimum wage was $5.15/hour.
He paid me $7.50/hour, and I was his lowest-paid employee ever.

Minimum wage hikes only hurt those businesses who exploit their employees, or who expanded too fast before being solidified in their community.

My father now employs nearly a hundred people in my hometown, and has consistently maintained a living wage for every single one of them because he expanded slowly and meticulously, and put down deep roots as an active, supportive member of the community.

He, and business owners like him, has nothing to fear from a minimum wage hike.
Click to expand...

Tsk tsk ... shame on your father for caring about the welfare of his employees and their families.
 
Eeset

Eeset

.
LIFETIME MEMBER
I think that a maximum wage law is long overdue. I propose that the highest legal salary in a company be set to 20 times the rate that business pays its lowest paid employee.
 
zoo22

zoo22

Well-known member
Rusha said:
Oh that's too bad. Shame on those poor people for expecting a decent wage to go hand in hand with the hard work that is expected of them.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Poor people are so greedy. Plus, if people are getting paid too little for a job, they're free to go get another job that pays better. Freedom! Perfect.
 
quip

quip

BANNED
Banned
republicanchick said:
One thing I don't agree w/ O'Reilly on is minimum wage.

Heck, I am not even sure I believe in a federal minimum wage at all, or any minimum wage.

Even so, I suppose if there were no law about minimum wage, an employer could pay someone.. $2 an hour (?) and I do know of a business that was paying exactly that, even just 10 yrs ago... It was a waitress job and they figured there would be tips to increase the "wages" but the waiters were not getting good tips, at least not consistently. So... yeh, $2 is ridiculous

But then again, waiters/waitresses didn't stick around. The employers who pay more will always get the better employees, the ones who will WANT to stick around and do a good job b/c they are getting paid well. Many companies (surprise, surprise) understand this and offer good wages and benefits (pay more than min. wage) so employees will stay, and they won't have to deal with high turnover/training new hires.. which things are costly to business.

That was the ONLY restaurant I have ever heard of that had such a ridiculously low wage... and again, no one ever stayed there long.

So anyway, if there is going to be something like a minimum wage, it should be set by the states, not the federal gov. But again, I wonder if we should even have one...

Most employers are not stupid enough to pay people $2/hr. Eventually, the employer will get tired of

  • being short on help,
  • having workers who don't want to work,
  • having workers who call in sick b/c they are looking for a better job...




++
Click to expand...

Supply and demand. Demand is artificially maintained as to keep wages low. Econ 101

If there's a glut of workers and sparce employment opportuinities someone is going to have to accept those low wage jobs...or unemployment.
 
R

republicanchick

New member
aikido7 said:
People who are trying to raise children and provide rent and food cannot do it on minimum wages.
Click to expand...
a majority of those earning min. wage are 18-24. Another good % of them are slightly older. McDonald's jobs are usually taken by teens and young adults, most of whom do NOT have a family to support. If there are no low paying jobs, there is no way for an unskilled, immature (age wise) person to get his foot in the door. A company will take short cuts to keep a higher profit, which means LAYING off workers and/or reducing their hours. True, the CEOs can usually stand to lose a few thousand dollars off their pay in order to offer better pay for the lowlier workers, so called. But CEO have to go to COLLEGE (usually) to b a CEO. It stands to reason that those who go to college should be paid more than those who have no education... unless.. well, there are all kinds of exceptions (people who WORK hard to get ahead as opposed to studying hard).




about 2 thirds of all Americans believe some sort of hike in worker's wages is necessary.
Click to expand...
So? At one time a slight majority thought murdering the unborn was OK. It is still top high, the % of those who believe in abortion... 1% is too high..
 
R

republicanchick

New member
quip said:
Supply and demand. Demand is artificially maintained as to keep wages low. Econ 101

If there's a glut of workers and sparce employment opportuinities someone is going to have to accept those low wage jobs...or unemployment.
Click to expand...

I dnt see how there can a glut of workers.. in this age of sterilization, people not having more than 1 or 2 kids, birth control, abortion..


++
 
R

republicanchick

New member
Buzzword said:
My My father now employs nearly a hundred people in my hometown, and has consistently maintained a living wage for every single one of them because he expanded slowly and meticulously, and put down deep roots as an active, supportive member of the community.

.
Click to expand...

good 4 him. All businesses are NOT like your father's... typical lib thinking: if something works for one, it works for all

again, the restaurant business and others operate @ a small profit margin.

It jus stands to reason that if the min. wage is low, HELLLLLLOOOO

More people can afford to go into business. Then when they become successful, they can AFFORD to pay higher wages... and they WILL since they realize they will have lower turnover if they pay people well.

If people would just leave the market alone and let it work... it would work. But NOOOOOOOO... the almighty government has to always stick it's huge Pinocchio nose into everyone's business and tell everyone what to do...

+
 
quip

quip

BANNED
Banned
republicanchick said:


Then when they become successful, they can AFFORD to pay higher wages... and they WILL since they realize they will have lower turnover if they pay people well.

+
Click to expand...

Actually, the opposite tends to be the case. It's one of many reasons why the government was forced to step in during the industrial revolution.

The capitalist had his chance at non-regulation....it was an epic fail.
 
Crowns&Laurels

Crowns&Laurels

BANNED
Banned
Minimum wage was first established to actually be something one could live off of- it's amazing how that turned into an idea that it's just for a little money in one's pocket.

Of course, the one's who say that and are against increasing minimum wage are the one's sitting on all the higher paying jobs, who seemed to have forgotten that with the idea that minimum wage should not be a primary money asset- you ultimately condemn many to have to be without a living. There are more people then high paying jobs, a lot more.

And with that, conservatives against minimum wage increase, as far as I'm concerned, don't have any other outlet then to concede to themselves as 'classist'. You may as well revert to feudalism.
 
R

republicanchick

New member
quip said:
Actually, the opposite tends to be the case. It's one of many reasons why the government was forced to step in during the industrial revolution.

The capitalist had his chance at non-regulation....it was an epic fail.
Click to expand...

there can be a reasonable compromise
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top