Do We Need A New National Minimum Wage??
There are arguments FOR and AGAINST. Most of you have heard the arguments FOR. Fast food restaurants, janitorial workers, migrant workers, etc, etc.. (Aside: Does a sentence ending in an abbreviation need 1 period, or 2; one for the end of the abbreviation, and one to end a sentence. If you know please tell me). I realize these are low paying jobs, with little benefits. BUT: what about the waitresses , for example. In the state I live, these people earn about $2-$3, an hour. The reason for this is the proprietors expect the patrons to pay their help. (TIPS), This is another topic for later. True some waiters/waitresses make big tips. I was speaking to a WAITER, who works in our State Capital, near all the Convention Centers, and Athletic Arenas. This restaurant is well known all across the USA. The wealthier clients entertain there quite often. He told me he and his colleagues earn between $60,000.oo and $70,000.oo, in TIPS a year. But away from there in your average town I have noticed the average tip is about $1.oo per Person. Therefore you can add that to the low wage paid and they are still making less than the average fast food server. In just this instance we have a huge difference in pay. So you raise the Minimum wage for the small town wait people, to lets say $10.oo an hour. That sounds good. Specially to the ones in the big City Fancy Restaurants who are making the $60-70,ooo.oo tips. (by the way the wait people in our area are required by the management to split their TIPS with the BUSBOY, COOK, DISHWASHER, and I have been told the owner of the establishment in some cases.
So a minimum wage raise may help some people, and others even more.
But how will this affect the Senior Citizen. The same Citizen who financed the bailouts, by not getting Social Security raises for 2 years running. When I calculated the money the government saved more than doubled the amount used for the bailout.
My friend who was forced into retirement, and lost not only money in his 401k, but was forced to spend it to pay off bills that would have been paid, had he been able to work the next 6 years as had been planned. (His place of employment closed it’s doors. Although qualified and able he could not get a job. Why? AGE. Not what he was told but the real reason). Making him rely heavily on Social Security for his needs. He showed me his check, after working, and paying into Social Security for 45 years his check, after the government takes out for his MEDICARE. Oh yes they take that out of your Social Security check. Break the remainder down to a40 hour week, then down to per hour. His gross pay is $6.49 an hour. (Which puts him, I believe, below poverty level. This before he pays his Supplemental Insurance, which helps pay what Medicare does not. Plus he has to pay for Eye Care, Dental, and Medicine. This Supplemental Insurance costs him $150.oo a month, and his insurance agent tells him that will go up effective the first of August. He tells me this insurance goes up more each year the small raise he gets. In other words he goes further behind each year.
Will he get a raise to even things out in purchasing power. Well not as long as Obama, is in office.
So. What is my point you ask. Raising the minimum wage will put more money in some people’s pocket. Business knowing there is more money out there will merely raise their prices, thus negating the raise. It always happens. The government will take in more money, via taxes. People will cheer a Minimum Wage Increase. What they don’t understand is it is merely a sham. They won’t be able to live any better.
So What Is The Point?
T hat Is How I See It.
PS: Sorry if I rambled on and strayed, but I think you get the idea.