u 10 hr Brandon101 v No, poor idea No. $9 is not a living wage. The poverty line is around 21,000/year, so $15 an hour would be more like it. We are the stingiest country I could ever imagine. Little story here -- started my career managing family factory (I managed one and Dad, the real boss, managed one) and they were modest, but we built 'em up over time. But we started out with like 10-15 people, and paid maybe $6-7/hour (in 1975 or so) and a meager health insurance and dental insurance plan and a meager pension plan as well. As we did better we paid better 'cause we're not all that excited about wealth anyway, not that we were homeless of course. But we were certainly able to do $15/hour by 1990,... Post
22 hr Tryder v No, poor idea if minimum wage is raised, prices across the board will increase. it will be no relief to the poor. it will make their plight much worse. if we want to help the economy and the job market, we need to fix our monetary policy. End the FED. Our money is worthless, giving more of it will not help. Post
u Wed Activevoter v Yes, good idea Ofcourse. How can we support a system that doesn't follow inflation and that is, as it is set, below the poverty line to sustain living? Post
May 21 AtheistStand v Yes, good idea Of we can give billions to other countries why cant we invest in our own people? Geeezz is it that hard to understand? Post
May 21 Your_Name_Here v No, poor idea More welfare... We, the People will subsidize the income of others by paying higher prices to offset the additional tax built in to the goods and services we purchase in order to subsidize higher pay. The only income that is of value is that which is earned, not given. Post
u May 20 robbob280 v No, poor idea In some state yes but not all cost of living differ from state to state . When you raise wages the price on products goes up . ( cost of living ) Remember the rich get richer and the poor stay poor . Post
u May 20 KentuckyJim v No, poor idea No. The government would be better off to actually help people themselves, rather then just throwing more policies and taxes on the backs of business owners. Minimum wage is meant to be a supplementary income, and not a primary one. Raising it would effectively lower the value of all of our incomes, including the ones that just got the higher minimum wage, because prices would go up. There would be no gain for anyone. It would be a better decision to leave it alone, and instead focus on creating more middle class jobs that these people can move into, and working to bring the cost of a college education DOWN. Post
u May 20 meggiemae v I have mixed feelings I don't think this issue has been made into law, still working on it ........... Post
May 19 MrHats v No, poor idea Yes, things are difficult now. Yes, life is hard and providing for a family is more than a chore it's almost a fight. However raising the minimum wage would, in turn, make the cost of everything go up. How does that help the people earning minimum wage. Their money will warrant the same demand regardless. Post
May 19 Carach v No, poor idea There should be no minimum wage at all. Any attempt by the government at setting prices for anything, including labor, is wrong and a violation of individual rights. While those who have, and are able to keep, jobs might be better off, the unemployed will certainly be worse off, and there will most likely be more of them. Those who do not have the skills for a $7 job will certainly not have the skills for a $9 job. People always seem to forget that regardless of any regulation, the actual minimum wage is always $0.00. Post
u 10 hr Brandon101 v No, poor idea No. $9 is not a living wage. The poverty line is around 21,000/year, so $15 an hour would be more like it. We are the stingiest country I could ever imagine. Little story here -- started my career managing family factory (I managed one and Dad, the real boss, managed one) and they were modest, but we built 'em up over time. But we started out with like 10-15 people, and paid maybe $6-7/hour (in 1975 or so) and a meager health insurance and dental insurance plan and a meager pension plan as well. As we did better we paid better 'cause we're not all that excited about wealth anyway, not that we were homeless of course. But we were certainly able to do $15/hour by 1990,... Post
22 hr Tryder v No, poor idea if minimum wage is raised, prices across the board will increase. it will be no relief to the poor. it will make their plight much worse. if we want to help the economy and the job market, we need to fix our monetary policy. End the FED. Our money is worthless, giving more of it will not help. Post
u Wed Activevoter v Yes, good idea Ofcourse. How can we support a system that doesn't follow inflation and that is, as it is set, below the poverty line to sustain living? Post
May 21 AtheistStand v Yes, good idea Of we can give billions to other countries why cant we invest in our own people? Geeezz is it that hard to understand? Post
May 21 Your_Name_Here v No, poor idea More welfare... We, the People will subsidize the income of others by paying higher prices to offset the additional tax built in to the goods and services we purchase in order to subsidize higher pay. The only income that is of value is that which is earned, not given. Post
u May 20 robbob280 v No, poor idea In some state yes but not all cost of living differ from state to state . When you raise wages the price on products goes up . ( cost of living ) Remember the rich get richer and the poor stay poor . Post
u May 20 KentuckyJim v No, poor idea No. The government would be better off to actually help people themselves, rather then just throwing more policies and taxes on the backs of business owners. Minimum wage is meant to be a supplementary income, and not a primary one. Raising it would effectively lower the value of all of our incomes, including the ones that just got the higher minimum wage, because prices would go up. There would be no gain for anyone. It would be a better decision to leave it alone, and instead focus on creating more middle class jobs that these people can move into, and working to bring the cost of a college education DOWN. Post
u May 20 meggiemae v I have mixed feelings I don't think this issue has been made into law, still working on it ........... Post
May 19 MrHats v No, poor idea Yes, things are difficult now. Yes, life is hard and providing for a family is more than a chore it's almost a fight. However raising the minimum wage would, in turn, make the cost of everything go up. How does that help the people earning minimum wage. Their money will warrant the same demand regardless. Post
May 19 Carach v No, poor idea There should be no minimum wage at all. Any attempt by the government at setting prices for anything, including labor, is wrong and a violation of individual rights. While those who have, and are able to keep, jobs might be better off, the unemployed will certainly be worse off, and there will most likely be more of them. Those who do not have the skills for a $7 job will certainly not have the skills for a $9 job. People always seem to forget that regardless of any regulation, the actual minimum wage is always $0.00. Post
u May 18 Granite4Red v No, poor idea The idea of the formation of the United States was never about imposing federal guidelines such as a minimum wage. If the individual states choose to impose (I disagree for other reasons), at least that would be in keeping with our founders intent and adhere to the 10th Amendment Post
u May 18 dzfgb v No, poor idea No, politicians should have to live on minimum wage, as their plight would make our dollar stronger. B1 r1 reply Post
u May 17 acombs v No, poor idea Raise minimum wage and the cost of everything goes up. Let the free market decide what the wage should be and not the government. On the other hand, you also have to get the government not to support those not willing to work or they will just rely on the government rather than taking a job anyway. Post
May 16 Ber0911772297 v Yes, good idea Because of the situation. Meaning to say life becomes hard and hard over the world and materials including food items are costy. Post
u May 15 sspphoto v No, poor idea No. It could add to the rampant inflation gripping our economy. r2 replies Post
May 16 Cookieknits Obviously you are making more than minimum wage. Congratulations. I hope you contribute to the food pantries out of your largesse. Post @Cookieknits
u 4 hr questioner Maybe we ought to limit the MAXIMUM wage or salary equivalent to $9.00 per hour or freeze wage and salary increases for those making more than the minimum wage. That ought to cut the 'rampant' wage inflation gripping our economy. Ooops, the average wage is stagnant so what is causing the rampant inflation gripping our economy? Post @questioner
May 15 Drumaddic v No, poor idea Government business regulations seem to be destroying this country.Common sense is a thing of the past, ideology is now day's idiotology. And our future is very bleak! And i'm not separating political parties anymore, the entire government system is out to destroy the american people for some reason. r2 replies Post
May 16 Cookieknits Nice rhetoric. How exactly does that feed someone who works eight to ten hours a day, yet doesn't earn enough money to pay rent and buy groceries? Post @Cookieknits
May 19 Drumaddic @Cookieknits The first Three word's of my "Rhetoric" is the solution. Post @Drumaddic
Feb '13 Armed_Veteran v No, poor idea The minimum wage was never meant to be a "living" wage. It is a starting wage you are supposed to work your way up from. If you can't make it on minimum wage, you are supposed to get yourself better trained and better educated and work your way up. In other words, if youare 20-21 years old and still making minimum wage, you should really be reconsidering your career choices. Increasing the minimum wage will do nothing but cause employers to hire less people and increase the cost of their goods and services, thus driving the economy even further into the black hole we are currently in. B7 r31 replies e147 endorsed Post
Feb '13 JoeJared v Yes, good idea Actually, compared to 1970's minimum wage and cost of goods, it should be $15.00/hour. B2 r16 replies e128 endorsed Post
Feb '13 justapirate v Yes, good idea I don't know why there should be doubt that the minimum wage is too low. I challenge ANYONE who is against it to try living on the current minimum. Go ahead. Try it. Seriously. No cheating. No using resources that you've got. Just plain make a valid attempt. You'll find that it doesn't meet any minimums that are required to just plain get by. To those who say that this will put businesses outa business- if it's that close a margin then you're two steps away from bankruptcy, anyway. B4 r5 replies e40 endorsed Post
Feb '13 Speedieg v Yes, good idea I agree with the president no one should work a full week in this country at any job and not make a living wage. Not everyone can be an engineer or doctor. B4 r5 replies e32 endorsed Post
u Feb '13 seedtick v No, poor idea Business owners will pass the cost along to consumers, lay off workers, cut benefits, etc. You cannot run a business if you cannot make profit. A small busines that is struggling will likely close down because of the added expense. Adding $70 per 40hr week to each employee just may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. That also means that they will be forced to increase higher paid skilled employees by a simular percentage. You cannot run a business on idealogy. But, the unsaid thing here is the added tax money the federal government will get when wages are raised. It's just another way to get into the businessman's pocket. Kind of like money laundering by using ... B4 r6 replies e22 endorsed Post
Feb '13 Dan_Tien v I have mixed feelings Prices rise to match increased wages. Raising the minimum wage will be a very temporary fix for the working poor, while hurting people on fixed incomes. Reducing cost of living increases for seniors is already on the table. e23 endorsed Post
Feb '13 Russell797 v Yes, good idea I will say it again. Our economic system is entirely dependent on never ending, continuous growth in all aspects. This unrealistic expectation of the capitalist economic model can only work when large segments of society can afford to participate in that upward growth. Holding low wage workers down is counter productive to this desired end result. B2 e14 endorsed Post
u Feb '13 kramresim1 v Yes, good idea The minimum wage should be a living wage and it needs to be tied to inflation. e12 endorsed Post
Feb '13 gammler v No, poor idea The minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage. Rather it was meant to be a training wage and a bar to prevent employers from exploiting employees just coming into the labor force. Every time the minimum wage goes up all that happens is that prices go up accordingly. All that gets accomplished is Bernanke paper with higher numbers on it. A raise in the minimum wage also causes more unemployment. The more it goes up the more workers who still have jobs work for it. It constricts the possibility of raises for more experienced workers. B4 r3 replies e7 endorsed Post
Feb '13 stepped_in_it v No, poor idea The inflation from such a move would make the recent droughts and the surge of the price of fossil fuels look like a minor inconvenience! B4 r1 reply e7 endorsed Post