Minimum Wage partially to blame for high unemployment in the USA

[lots0]

Clearly... it is an issue.
An issue that needs action... we need to put people in jail and make some more laws.

Waterboarding is in order... We must stomp out all this different thinking... it''s dangerous. People stating their opinions in an open political forum... outrageous!

 

[jod5413]

Clearly... it is an issue.
An issue that needs action... we need to put people in jail and make some more laws.

Waterboarding is in order... We must stomp out all this different thinking... it''s dangerous. People stating their opinions in an open political forum... outrageous!

Behave yourself, ya big ol' bear!!! No honey for you!!!

 

[Nifty29]

No actually I was being nice Lots0. It is clearly an issue with you and Nifty on threads and then there being arguements (just like the one you are attempting to start now). That is nothing to do with the topic, nor in any way logical. It is apparent that your aim is to get under people's skin. I accept that. It is what you are. Fine.

In no way misunderstand your implication in several derailed threads and arguements. You clearly anger many people with your words. Nor will I ignore my hand in it.

GM - why did you have to spoil what I thought was a reasonable debate with accusations that Lots0 and I are trolls (that's what you are saying)?

All I did was present my point of view. I didn't diss anyone, or call anyone names, or even suggest anyone else was a ' moron' etc.

You don't have to agree with my POV, just like I don't have to agree with yours.

You brought up other threads and made remarks about me personally and that was completely unjustified. My post was completely on-topic.

If you don't like what I say, PUT ME ON IGNORE for goodness sake . Or, if you want to continue debating this topic and other relevant topics then I'm all ears.

P.S.

I thought gaydave had me on "ignore"...????

 

[lots0]

I am starting to think we should ask Bryan to close the political forum.

It has caused nothing but flames and hard feelings.
Driven off good members on both sides of the political spectrum and the political forum seems to have attracted some folks that are only interested in politics and promoting their political view.

It is unfortunate that some can't participate in a political discussion without name calling, flames and personal digs. But that is in fact the case. So maybe it is time move on to more gambling and less politics...

And I am sure that Bryan and Max are getting very tired of having to babysit grown adults...

Maybe a poll of the membership on this issue?

 

[maxd]

I seldom read less insightful posts. I seldom see points of view so intellectually lazy and simple.

... I am no longer going to try and be civil to those that are always jerks. Nifty, you are the king of jerks. ... everytime your a total douche (like in this case).

Looks like somebody needs a little enforced vacation time: 2 weeks for flaming, troll behaviour and Forum Rules violations. As Bryan says "please come back with a better attitude".

 

[jod5413]

Thank you, Max.

 

[Rhyzz]

Wage increases should be linked to a strong economy. As inflation goes up, interest rates should go up which in turn gives banks more money to lend, encouraging new businesses and further employment. It's one big circle, so writing off wage increases and saying it hurts the economy based on these factors is wrong. However, Grease does make a good point that by increasing wages without signs of an economic recovery, you're just making the situation worse.

Ireland and the UK have it very wrong in my opinion, minimum wages are not enough to cope with inflation, yet businesses have no money because the banks won't lend, thus leading to redundancy. It's a vicious circle but they would never ever drop the minimum wage because companies won't drop their prices in response. Petrol is a perfect example - prices plummeted recently but the prices at the pumps remained the same, it's a joke.

 

[felicie]

GM, I have been reading your posts since you started posting again. And I believe you are one of the most argumentative and snarky posters on the forum. As evidenced by you immediately answering my post, which did not beg answering, and tryng to rile people back up.

You have purposely tried to dis Nifty and Lots0, I guess to try and "get their backs up" again?

Next time you see a post like mine, it would probably be safe to assume it is being addressed to you.

Have a great night!

Ouch!

 

[GrandMaster]

A different opinion on the minimum wage: Link Removed ( Old/Invalid)

 

[Nifty29]

A different opinion on the minimum wage: Link Removed ( Old/Invalid)

Thanks GM. Good article.

Now its time to sit back and watch the sparks fly....

 

[vinylweatherman]

The minimum wage was designed to ensure that the state did not subsidise businesses who paid so little that employees had to supplement their earnings with handouts from the state.
It was a very simple concept that underestimated the complexities of how different factors interact within an economy.
If minimum wage cost rise, businesses will look to cut costs elsewhere. This usually means job losses, so even the initial aim of saving the state money is not achieved. It could even be costing the state MORE to have a legal minimum wage than it would cost to pay benefits to low paid workers. If this is the case, minimum wage is not working, and governments should look for an alternative.

One would be to ensure that business tax covers the overall costs of state subsidies to low paid workers, with businesses able to pay what the workers will accept, and the workers getting the difference in state benefits. The costs would not hit individual businesses, so we would not get vulnerable ones being driven to the wall through having to bear a cost disproportionate to the profits they make. A struggling business would NOT be saddled with a disproportionate level of taxation.

Recent government thinking says that we NEED inflation in order to get continual economic growth. This is fine for the RICH, who can make money from inflation, but a bad deal for the POOR, and those on fixed income like pensioners, who CANNOT increase their income to make up for inflation.

For the poor, a RECESSION and DEflation is better than INflation, as it means shops CUT prices in order to shift goods, and by buying intelligently, the poor can get a better deal than they can in times of "boom". The rich HATE this, as they get LESS money coming in from their investments, and can even end up joining the ranks of the poor overnight if their businesses go bust.

The minimum wage rules also mean that the poor are NOT free to negotiate a lower wage with an employer who would otherwise not give them a job at all. This denies them a start in their working career, which might lead them to get better paid jobs in the future.

The ONLY way around this is to become a self employed "sole trader", and charge as little as you like for a job.

Oddly enough, even the RICH might suffer from the abolition of the minimum wage, because there would be LESS money available to be spent, and thus LESS money available to be made by busineses such as retail and services. The government (in other words, RICH MPs) would face being voted out of office by those voters who saw their income slashed by the abolition of the minimum wage, thus however good an idea for the long term it might seem, no government would want to take the short term risk.