higher minimum wages and higher taxes.

[danielost]

the problem with either of these is it does not hurt the rich. they just pass them on to the consumer, that would be you and me, through higher prices. everyone keeps complaining about the rich getting richer and the poor gettting poorer. but , it seems that few can put 2 and 2 together and come up

with why.

there is one tax that the rich cannot manipulate, sales tax. they raise the price and they pay a higher tax.

[Ashotep]

That is true the rich can't get out of paying a higher sales tax but it would hurt the poor that can't afford it. A higher minimum wage they will pass on to the consumer or just buy robots to replace workers. They already have robots that can flip burgers and wait on tables. They may not be that efficient now but if a market develops for them I'm sure there will be improvements.

Fast-Food CEO Unveils Plans for Fully Automated Restaurant in Response to Calls for Minimum Wage Hike

Robots in Restaurants

[danielost]

That is true the rich can't get out of paying a higher sales tax but it would hurt the poor that can't afford it. A higher minimum wage they will pass on to the consumer or just buy robots to replace workers. They already have robots that can flip burgers and wait on tables. They may not be that efficient now but if a market develops for them I'm sure there will be improvements.

Fast-Food CEO Unveils Plans for Fully Automated Restaurant in Response to Calls for Minimum Wage Hike

Robots in Restaurants

the poor are already paying all taxes, directly or indirectly. you want the poor to lose more jobs.

[Peter B]

Well, you could in theory put the sales tax on things only rich people are likely to buy.

But then others would complain it would be a wealth tax, and wipe out incentive to be wealthy, or something like that.

The thing about providing a higher minimum wage is that if there are more people on a higher minimum wage, there's going to be more money going into the local economy. So small local businesses get a higher turnover, which in turn yields higher taxes, and the economy grows. By contrast, the more local wages are suppressed in the name of keeping businesses competitive, then the less money the local population has to maintain the local economy, and the economy shrinks.

[Buzz_Light_Year]

Raising the minimum wage is nothing more than political pandering. For the most part since the minimum wage was instituted the federal poverty level has been higher than minimum wage. If you raise the minimum wage then the poverty level will raise and those making minimum wage will still fall below the poverty level.

Minimum wage workers will still not be able to work themselves out of the "so called poverty" and they will still qualify for government benefits. By raising the minimum wage all you are doing is creating more taxable income for the government in the short term. And the result of unintended consequences drives the smaller business out because they can not longer afford to pay higher minimum wage and you suffer less taxes being collected as there are less workers and less businesses paying taxes .

Edited March 22, 2016 by Buzz_Light_Year

[danielost]

Well, you could in theory put the sales tax on things only rich people are likely to buy.

But then others would complain it would be a wealth tax, and wipe out incentive to be wealthy, or something like that.

The thing about providing a higher minimum wage is that if there are more people on a higher minimum wage, there's going to be more money going into the local economy. So small local businesses get a higher turnover, which in turn yields higher taxes, and the economy grows. By contrast, the more local wages are suppressed in the name of keeping businesses competitive, then the less money the local population has to maintain the local economy, and the economy shrinks.

and first time employees lose jobs. 17 year olds cannot get jobs at mcdonalds now. so their putting their lives on the line committing robberies.

[danielost]

Raising the minimum wage is nothing more than political pandering. For the most part since the minimum wage was instituted the federal poverty level has been higher than minimum wage. If you raise the minimum wage then the poverty level will raise and those making minimum wage will still fall below the poverty level.

Minimum wage workers will still not be able to work themselves out of the "so called poverty" and they will still qualify for government benefits. By raising the minimum wage all you are doing is creating more taxable income for the government.

and those who are making what the minimum wage will be, have now entered the poverty level. thus poor get poorer. the so called living wage becomes the opposite.

Edited March 22, 2016 by danielost

[Gunn]

Yeah too bad the government raises the wages anyway. It's the SOS over the years, people p!ss and moan about it and the government keeps on raising them.

Now what I want to hear is how people are going to stop them from continually doing it. Complaining about it don't get nothing done.

[danielost]

Yeah too bad the government raises the wages anyway. It's the SOS over the years, people p!ss and moan about it and the government keeps on raising them.

Now what I want to hear is how people are going to stop them from continually doing it. Complaining about it don't get nothing done.

it lets more people know about the problem.

[Gunn]

In other words just complain and do nothing. Talk is talk and it's cheap, but action speaks louder then words. How come nobody ever starts a protest about it?

You want to let more people know about the problem...protest.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Purifier

[GlitterRose]

Somehow, the aristocracy has convinced the average Joe that it is not in his best interest to get a cost of living raise...even though the cost of living keeps increasing. Somehow, people have bought into this crud, even though when companies make record-breaking profits, they don't reward the little guy...they move overseas where they can make even more money from slave labor. If we haven't figured out that nothing really trickles down yet, then we never will. The more they get, the more they keep and the more they want.

[Gunn]

Somehow, the aristocracy has convinced the average Joe that it is not in his best interest to get a cost of living raise...even though the cost of living keeps increasing. Somehow, people have bought into this crud, even though when companies make record-breaking profits, they don't reward the little guy...they move overseas where they can make even more money from slave labor. If we haven't figured out that nothing really trickles down yet, then we never will. The more they get, the more they keep and the more they want.

Actually it's mostly people who run small and medium size businesses, who have employees. I run a small business myself, but don't have any employees. Now here's the thing, raising the minimum wage doesn't hurt the big dog corporations all that much, they just raise their prices to counter the cost, but with the small businesses who are competing with each other and sometimes the large corporations it's a different story. They can't always do that and when everybody else is raising their prices in the market, like Wal-Mart and Lowe's on supplies, that cuts into their profit margin and makes some of those small businesses either just come out even or puts them in the red; and even sometimes break them.

The other thing is the employee only comes out ahead maybe for a little while with raised minimum wages. Because the big dogs like Wal-Mart eventually raise their prices over time, putting everybody right back where we before, barely making it paycheck to paycheck. And before you know it, if we continue on down this road of raising the minimum wage and corporations raising their prices to counter it, we'll each be paying several thousand dollars for groceries just to frigin' eat, twice or three times more versus what we pay now.

Because I can remember when things were a helluva lot cheaper over 40 years ago then they are now and every time the government kept raising minimum wage those prices kept going up and up and up at the stores. When are we going to stop this and get out of this rut, is my question?

[danielost]

In other words just complain and do nothing. Talk is talk and it's cheap, but action speaks louder then words. How come nobody ever starts a protest about it?

You want to let more people know about the problem...protest.

I am unable I live in a nursing home and in a wheel chair

[danielost]

Somehow, the aristocracy has convinced the average Joe that it is not in his best interest to get a cost of living raise...even though the cost of living keeps increasing. Somehow, people have bought into this crud, even though when companies make record-breaking profits, they don't reward the little guy...they move overseas where they can make even more money from slave labor. If we haven't figured out that nothing really trickles down yet, then we never will. The more they get, the more they keep and the more they want.

there are three groups that benefit by minimum wage , unions it allows them to ask for higher wages. the rich, the results of these are higher prices. politicians, it makes them look like they care. getting them reelected.

[+DieChecker]

the problem with either of these is it does not hurt the rich. they just pass them on to the consumer, that would be you and me, through higher prices. everyone keeps complaining about the rich getting richer and the poor gettting poorer. but , it seems that few can put 2 and 2 together and come up

with why.

there is one tax that the rich cannot manipulate, sales tax. they raise the price and they pay a higher tax.

Oregon just signed into law a horrendous minimum wage law that will raise the minimum to 14.50 gradually by 2020.

People complain that we need a higher wage to gain back the buying power that we had 50 years ago. BUT, the problem with that is to return the buying power, the corporations, and the distributors of resources and goods, would have to keep their costs the same, which is not going to happen. If there is extra money in the economy, and people still have the same demand, then prices will naturally go up. So if the minimum wage goes up from $9.50 an hour to $10.50 an hour, then you can expect that things like Apartment Rent will go up 10% also. Probably within the same year.

I do like the sales tax, but I've not seen it used anywhere to super good effect where it is really very fair. The super rich just don't spend 90% to 100% of their income every month like a poor person or middle class person does. IIRC, they spend around 10% to 30% of their income and just get richer. Even if that means the middle and lower classes pay 5% of the total taxes, the rich would still be getting over and getting richer. Not that I have a problem with that... Just pointing out realities here.

[Farmer77]

the problem with either of these is it does not hurt the rich. they just pass them on to the consumer, that would be you and me, through higher prices. everyone keeps complaining about the rich getting richer and the poor gettting poorer. but , it seems that few can put 2 and 2 together and come up

with why.

there is one tax that the rich cannot manipulate, sales tax. they raise the price and they pay a higher tax.

If you raise the sales tax, particularly luxury taxes the ultra rich just shop elsewhere.

[+DieChecker]

and those who are making what the minimum wage will be, have now entered the poverty level. thus poor get poorer. the so called living wage becomes the opposite.

I agree. If the minimum is raised from $8 to $15 an hour, then that just effectively brought everyone else down. At first it will look like the poor are now going to be middle class and will seem to have a "living wage", however the reality is that the Cost of Living in the area with the $15 minimum wage will quickly move up due to supply and demand to match the previous poverty level. So unless those already making $15 and hour get raises of the same percentage ($15/$8 = 1.875) (1.875 x $15 = $28) then those people will quickly LOSE spending power.

Raising the minimum wage has the same effects as inflation, except much, much quicker.

[+DieChecker]

Somehow, the aristocracy has convinced the average Joe that it is not in his best interest to get a cost of living raise...even though the cost of living keeps increasing. Somehow, people have bought into this crud, even though when companies make record-breaking profits, they don't reward the little guy...they move overseas where they can make even more money from slave labor. If we haven't figured out that nothing really trickles down yet, then we never will. The more they get, the more they keep and the more they want.

There is nothing wrong with a cost of living raise. The problem is trying to raise the Minimum wage to some mythic historic spending power level.

That just isn't going to happen unless there are super tight restrictions on the economy and how fast Rent, Transportation, Communication, Entertainment, Food, and other areas can raise their prices. Unless there is price caps put on EVERYTHING, then all that extra spending power will evaporate in just a couple years.

[Ashotep]

the poor are already paying all taxes, directly or indirectly. you want the poor to lose more jobs.

What about my post gave you that idea.

[Farmer77]

There is nothing wrong with a cost of living raise. The problem is trying to raise the Minimum wage to some mythic historic spending power level.

That just isn't going to happen unless there are super tight restrictions on the economy and how fast Rent, Transportation, Communication, Entertainment, Food, and other areas can raise their prices. Unless there is price caps put on EVERYTHING, then all that extra spending power will evaporate in just a couple years.

YES price caps on EVERYTHING, or maybe rather than a price cap, put a PROFIT cap on everything. If a product or service costs you X to perform you can only charge Y % above that.

[danielost]

What about my post gave you that idea.

nothing, the truth is the truth.

[danielost]

price caps are alredy in place on medical around the world except in the usa. we in effect pay for every oneelses medical. back in 1999 clinton capped what we would pay for flu shots in 2000 we ran out.

[Thanato]

The problem with minimum wage is that it is less then it was 20-30 years ago. It seems like it is more but when you count for inflation minimum wage is less. But if you factor in inflation and price increases everything else has increased to the point that you can not live working full time hours making minimum wage and supporting a family.

It is easy to go out and say get a better job but when the majority of jobs are now part time minimum wage where you live it is hard to get a better job.

[danielost]

If you raise the sales tax, particularly luxury taxes the ultra rich just shop elsewhere.

I agree the rich will shop for cheaper prices, that's the point. they will lower prices so they have to pay lesser prices. meaning, everyone will pay less.

[danielost]

The problem with minimum wage is that it is less then it was 20-30 years ago. It seems like it is more but when you count for inflation minimum wage is less. But if you factor in inflation and price increases everything else has increased to the point that you can not live working full time hours making minimum wage and supporting a family.

It is easy to go out and say get a better job but when the majority of jobs are now part time minimum wage where you live it is hard to get a better job.

the key word is inflation, which is caused by wage and tax increase.