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December 4th, 2013
09:22 PM ET

Increase the minimum wage?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Rep. Barbara Lee are asked the final question in #Crossfire.

soundoff (108 Responses)
  1. Eddie Fonseca

    When we look at our national flag which stands for freedom and sing the Star Spangled Banner anthem either by the regular version or the salsa version, we live in a country that provides jobs which can support our family's and live the American Dream of having a great job and providing for our family's as well. Being an American who has worked minimum wage jobs in grocery stores and other places threw high school and college, I know how tough it is like millions of hard working American's to make end's meet on ten dollars and hour either working at McDonald's of some fast food places trying to decide to put food on the table or to buy the latest toy's for our kids at Christmas. We should raise the minimum wage to at least thirteen to fifteen dollars and hour, so that people can at least make end's meet at the end of the month. Raising the minimum wage is not going to hurt our economy but make it stronger, in the long run by having workers who care about their job's instead of looking for the next higher paying job in a different field. As Americans we know we live in the land of the free and home to a market which is determined by the all mighty dollar and how much profit a company makes. If we raise the minimum wage in America like every other country has done across the globe, we will make our great nation a stronger country which provides quality products that other country's would like to buy and invest to our growing economy for years to come.

    December 18, 2013 at 1:48 am | Reply
  2. Chris

    We are coming out of one of the worst, if not the worst, recessions in history, and raising the minimum wage could cause businesses, especially small ones, to cut hours, layoff current employees or not hire new employees to offset their extra cost. Admittedly, this is a terrible way to handle it, but no one can stop them from doing it. People making minimum wage spend practically all, if not all, the money they make on just the basic necessities to survive, and still tend to fall short sometimes. Raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour, could inject a little over $9 billion extra spending power into the economy. However, if we raise the minimum wage, especially to the level they are talking about (around $10/hr or higher), it truly isn’t going to help anyone, and actually will tend to dig deeper into the pockets of everyone above minimum wage, because the price of all goods and services will rise to accommodate the wage hike.
    According to recent American Action Forum research, 80 percent of minimum wage workers are not actually in poverty, increasing the federal minimum to $10, as some have proposed, wouldn't benefit 99 percent of the people in poverty. Myriad research indicates that raising the minimum wage, while not destroying jobs, impedes job creation. That means an even slower recovery to full employment. California’s new bump in the minimum wage to $10 will prevent the creation of almost 200,000 new jobs. If every state followed suit, more than 2.3 million jobs across the country would never see the light of day. This makes intuitive sense because the money has to come from somewhere. If the goal is to get people back to work, imposing a $5 billion to $15 billion price tag on the small and new businesses that dominate minimum-wage job creation would simply get in the way. In the process, income that would have been earned by new job holders would instead accrue to existing minimum wage workers. With 11.3 million people looking for work, it is simply perverse to redistribute from the job seekers to the job holders.

    December 17, 2013 at 7:51 pm | Reply
  3. Randall

    Minimum Wage Rate what an outrage! What Republican's want to do is bring back slavery. Then you don't have to pay any minimum wage. Wouldn't that be paradise.

    December 16, 2013 at 3:58 pm | Reply
  4. Mike

    Many people including those here fail to realize that minimum wage workers make up very little of the actual jobs in America. Only 4.7% of hourly jobs made the minimum wage and the vast majority of the workers are under the age of 25....Only 3% of people over 25 within that 4.7% bucket actually made minimum wage.

    Minimum wage is generally paid to single, teenagers. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    December 16, 2013 at 2:27 pm | Reply
  5. SomeTruth

    One argument I never understood

    "if you raise the minimum wage to X, then what about the guy who is already making X? How is that fair to them?"

    Why does that even matter? Are people's egos so fragile and weak they cannot take the idea that someone is making the same as them for doing "less advanced work"? A plumber with a HS degree can make more per hour than a Doctor of Psychology. It's a false argument.

    December 15, 2013 at 1:16 pm | Reply
    • JAE1983

      Sounds good, until you fast-forward a few years... if plumbers (a dirty job that requires at least some training) make the same as Wal-Mart greeters, how many people do you think are going to want to be plumbers? Either salaries will go up across the board (which will massively devalue the already-weak US dollar), or there will be a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labor in the $10-$15/hour range.

      December 15, 2013 at 5:05 pm | Reply
      • Chris Tinker

        I wish everyone agreed. I respond with your response almost word for word every time someone brings up raising minimum wage. Raise minimum wage, slightly increase the living standards of the lower class(for a few months until the US dollar falls beyond recovery) and completely destroy middle class.

        December 16, 2013 at 7:51 am |
  6. pjoe

    Let's just go ahead and increase the minimum wage to $1,000,000 an hour. Why are Democrats being so stingy?

    December 14, 2013 at 12:04 am | Reply
    • Kevin

      this argument is so fucking stupid. we want to give every american working full time enough to live on. $8/hr is not enough to survive.

      December 14, 2013 at 3:22 am | Reply
      • JAE1983

        It's enough for someone with no dependents in most areas of the country – not luxurious, but adequate. 90+ percent of the sob stories on this subject stem from people having kids they knew full well they wouldn't be able to support, and that isn't behavior that it's in society's interest to reward.

        December 15, 2013 at 5:01 pm |
    • James

      It would be better if we could all have supercomputers connected to the stockmarkets like those global coprorations and sociopaths, buying and selling stocks millions of times a second and realizing perpetual million dollar gains - without producing a useful product or service and with no risk. (high frequency trading)

      December 14, 2013 at 10:19 am | Reply
    • keithincali

      I'm all for a minimum wage of $1 million an hour. Who wouldn't be?

      December 15, 2013 at 5:13 pm | Reply
    • keithincali

      I'm all for a minimum wage of $1 million an hour. Who wouldn't be? I could retire comfortably by lunch time on my first day of work. Lets make this happen!

      December 15, 2013 at 5:15 pm | Reply
  7. BL

    I got a solution that could work but it takes a lot. How about the underclass and the ones sitting there just taking, taking, taking and taking more away from the Wealthy find something called Motivation. Quit waiting and complaining and go make a difference in your life. All it takes is a decision, a snap of the fingers and commitment. Taking away from those that work hard for what they have is inexcusable. You're literally stealing their money.

    December 11, 2013 at 11:15 pm | Reply
    • Dylan

      You are fighting an ideological battle that EVERYONE already agrees with. We all agree in hard work and motivation, the problem is that it is clearly to paying off for too many americans.

      December 12, 2013 at 3:56 pm | Reply
    • Tyler

      Good plan.

      December 16, 2013 at 10:28 am | Reply
  8. James

    Minimum wage should be raised significantly. Not marginally. It is a standard to which most jobs are tied, one way or another. That standard has lost ground significantly in recent decades and it should be fixed.

    There are many officials appointed by public agencies or congresses across the country who become millionares at public expense. I don't believe they do anything to deserve it, they are usually followers not leaders and they are often the same people who promote policies that repress wages paid to others.

    Current pay scales reflect a near complete disregard for the value of real work and even competency in America. The highest salary a public official gets should be tied directly to the lowest paid position of that same organization.

    In the WWII era, American workers were praised - today I've heard it used as a slur to say a person is working for a popular food chain.

    We need to change that model and promote policies that help american workers instead of global corporations and ultra-rich sociopaths.

    December 11, 2013 at 10:29 am | Reply
    • davecu

      Please think long term. To raise the minimum wage for a low skill job will increase the cost of every product thereby reducing the purchasing power of the low skilled earner by even more.

      The price of a ballpark frank goes up, higher minimum wage, so fewer people, who can just afford the game, buy fewer franks.
      As sales reduce so does the need for the help. The help gets laid off and how have NO wages.
      Who wins?

      December 13, 2013 at 2:05 pm | Reply
      • Kevin

        This is a completely invalid argument. Raising the minimum wage increases the purchasing power of the lower class. The average American would hardly be affected. It was estimating that raising the wages of McDonalds workers to $15 an hour would increase the price of a burger by less than $0.50. It really would only cut into the rediculous profit margins some of these huge companies are running at, at the expense of their employees. Why do so many Americans jump to defend the mega rich while criticizing the poor?

        December 14, 2013 at 3:29 am |
      • James

        In case you haven't noticed, the price of everything has gone up radically in the last few years along with the price of fuel. It is being driven absurdly high by energy futures derivitives speculators. If you're really concerned about prices, fixing that would be far more effective than continuing to lower the buying power of people who really need it. Those people will spend money if they have it and help grow the economy. But we don't want to upset those ultra rich sociopaths who are running things, do we?

        December 14, 2013 at 10:08 am |
  9. Abby

    Although Mr. Chaffetz did portray himself as a "know-it-all", I would have to agree with him in this issue. Rather than give out more money we should increase and improve education. But I do see where Ms. Lee is coming from. We do need to increase the pay for the people already working minimum wage jobs. I would say $8.00-$8.50 is a much better suggestion though. If the pay is too high (such as $10.00), people may not even see the point to continue education because minimum wage is fine.

    December 10, 2013 at 5:02 pm | Reply
    • Ish

      Well if you adjust the minimum wage from 30 years ago at the rate of inflation, the minimum wage would be about $10.50 and hour. Where I live that would not be a livable wage, around here for a single person to have a livable wage you would need to make $15.81, two adults with no kids is $12.46 an hour each. This is bare minimum in state of VT, this accounts for $84 a month for personal expenses, which is not enough per person to drive an economy to grow.

      December 12, 2013 at 5:17 am | Reply
    • Kevin

      Not every person can have a job better than the minimum wage workers. If that was the case there would be no one left to work those jobs. Also just to be frank some people simply are not intelligent or capable enough to move beyond this point because of learning disabilities. Are you suggesting these people should have to make choices between paying rent and buying food rather than earning a livable wage?

      December 14, 2013 at 3:32 am | Reply
  10. Scott

    If fast food all of a sudden pays $15 an hour, kids new to the workforce will find competition from workers in other sectors for the fast food jobs, workers that will want to switch from less desirable occupations paying the same.

    And it will increase the size of the minimum wage class.

    It's a form of inflation at the bottom of the heap.

    A friend said, "It will move mom's and pop's into competition with fast food."

    December 10, 2013 at 2:03 am | Reply
    • ygreedy

      Not sure what area of the country you reside in,but in Fla,Alabama,Ga,Ms,etc. these are no longer student/kids jobs.Most employee`s are older,and the industry is no longer a stepping stone for college kids.

      December 11, 2013 at 12:51 pm | Reply
      • ThatGuy

        I'm from NJ, and most fast food employees are men and women 25 and younger. An easy 90% of them. I currently work a part time job for 10.50/hr while going to school full time. However MY job is not something anybody could walk off the street and learn to do, it requires a lot of certification, training, and specialized knowledge that not many people my age have, let alone people of any age. Do the burger flippers (microwavers) and fry fryers deserve what I get paid or more?! No, because they are performing unskilled labor for only a dollar or two less than myself. I probably deserve a few more dollars an hour, and maybe they deserve 10 and I deserve 15... but that's not the point. This job pays for college, and a car lease (a damn nice car for a 20 year old college senior) and insurance, that's its only purpose. I graduate this year, debt free and I attended a State U for 4 years (NJ state schools are among the most expensive in the nation.)

        December 11, 2013 at 5:45 pm |
  11. Dylan

    I can guarantee 100% that if we ever abolish the minimum wage, the incentive to work for so many people with be abolished along with it. Its because of that guaranteed pay that i can afford to spend time working. If not, then I will just go back home, not go to college, not use my talent to benefit the greater economy overall, and sit on a small farm in the back of the woods waiting for some Capitalistic Corporate CEO to tell me that growing my own food is illegal and interferes with his business. Go ahead and get rid of the minimum wage and you will see EVERYONE dropping their uniform, clocking out, and going home to take care of themselves for free. Or just go to the welfare office since that would pay more.

    December 9, 2013 at 7:54 pm | Reply
  12. George

    Once again most people commenting on this site are missing it. If you raise the minimum wage this forces businesses to raise prices this raises the cost of goods. The solution is to create higher paying long term jobs, something Obama has no interest in doing or any clue as to how to do this.

    December 9, 2013 at 5:13 pm | Reply
    • Dylan

      For each time the minimum wage was increased, prices actually dropped. The rich people have enough money, they can afford to pay people more. Second of all, there is a difference between the obey the rich earn, and what the businesses earn. they are not the same. Raising the minimum wage would not change a thing for prices unless some ignorant shop/business owner decided not to work with the system. There is no evidence that raising the minimum wage has ever drove up prices. Inflation drives up prices, lack of competition drives up prices, etc. The more money people have to spend, the more demand will increase and the faster prices will drop.

      December 9, 2013 at 7:45 pm | Reply
    • basedonfact

      In Australia they raised the minimum wage to $15.75 in July. The price of a Big Mac has gone up 4 cents in response

      December 9, 2013 at 11:32 pm | Reply
    • TomInRochNY

      First you say that if you raise minimum wage prices will go up. Then you say the solution is to create higher paying jobs. Won't those jobs also increase prices?

      So, if increasing the minimum wage so people can afford to live isn't the answer, what is? Should we start killing the excess workforce until unemployment goes away? Personally I think we should eat the rich. It solves the wealth gap and the hunger problem in one shot.

      December 10, 2013 at 7:01 am | Reply
    • oscar

      That's not how economics works. Prices of goods are set by supply and demand. Increasing costs does NOT mean that companies can raise prices on consumers. In fact, depending on the company, they may benefit more from their customers having more money than they would suffer from having to pay their employees a decent wage.

      And "creating higher-paying jobs" would be wonderful. The way to do it? Require employers to pay their employees fairly.

      December 10, 2013 at 11:08 am | Reply
    • Pete

      George, I think you are wrong. Obama can't create good paying long term jobs, they have all gone to China and India. All the great plants and manufacturing jobs are gone forever. So what is left is low paying jobs that pay crumbs. Look at housing costs, in the 80s, you could buy a house for under $75k. An average worker earned $25k per year. Now a house will cost you $200k and if you earn min wager, you earn less than $15k. Housing is just one cost that has gone through the roof, Gas, Utilities, food, clothes, all have gone up dramatically. The only way to fix this is to get rid of the global economy and return to forcing companies to pay a decent wage to all their workers.

      December 12, 2013 at 11:58 am | Reply
  13. successpal

    The Minimum Wage … A Capitalists View

    As the administration and many on Capitol Hill push to increase the minimum wage, the war between a socialist world philosophy and the capitalistic world view becomes glaringly obvious. Where do your views come down on this topic?

    Capitalist would argue that Minimum wage is the first rung on a ladder to begin ones climb in the marketplace. They would point out that in years past we had a working relationship called an Apprentice; a person willing to learn a trade or skill from an experienced mentor for little or NO pay. As those skills were mastered the financial compensation was life sustaining for the Apprentice.

    They would further argue that the capitalistic system, more than any other system in human history, has consistently lifted people from the depth and despair of poverty. By increasing the minimum wage we push the lowest most needy in our society out of the system. We cultivate the seeds of need and dependence among the lowly in our society and perpetuate a distane and hatred for capitalism. That hatred becomes more and more prevalent as the poor believe that their only means of sustenance and survival is handouts. Hand outs from business owners, governmental agencies or charities.

    These two different world views of socialism vs. capitalism is the knife that divides our political debates and separates the have’s from the have not. The true middle class of America is represented by mainstream hard working Americans who want a great nation and want to see equality among all her peoples. Most of these people began their work careers at a job at minimum wage or less. The socialist will argue that these people most likely had supportive families and communities to offset the low wages, with things like transportation, encouragement and emotional support. Their position may very well be true and is worthy of consideration to remedy.

    The people we need to help the most to climb out of poverty and misfortune are the very ones hurt by raising the minimum wage. It makes it harder and harder to start their climb to success. As the minimum wage increases, more and more people are eliminated from reaching that first rung to start their own climb to success and productivity for their own life.

    Sadly no one is talking about lowering the minimum wage for fear of political correctness backlash. By lowering the minimum wage more people can start to learn marketable skill sets; but more importantly they achieve the real valuable currency of self reliance and self respect, and they learn to leverage the system for their own success.

    It could be argued that raising the minimum wage is perpetuating the victim mindset and the belief in the need for reliance on the government. Government social programs become the norm. The victims of this socialist mindset line the street with signs protesting and fighting against the very system that will help free them from their plight.

    The cost to a small business owner to help develop simple task oriented skill sets is much more than the hourly wage paid to the new employee. The trainer is a higher skilled worker themselves earning more than minimum wage. Add that as an additional cost to the business owner and the training time is not generating any profit to the enterprise.

    A government controlled wage removes the emotional and personal advancement offered by business owners to promote and reward productive workers. It creates a stagnant relationship for the employee and the company. The company needs to balance worker compensation and the competitive market forces. Without a profitable working relationship among all parties no one would be compensated. Sadly the hand of Government forcing “a minimum wage” undermines the entire Capitalistic system on which America is built.

    December 9, 2013 at 3:56 pm | Reply
    • Dylan

      People are willing and want to work. We need more jobs and people will fill them sure enough. But when the top 1% of Americans own 93% of all new income in the country, there is something dead wrong with that. We need higher minimum wage. Because we guarantee that kind of pay in the country is one of the many reasons so many people choose to immigrate to the United States.

      December 9, 2013 at 7:50 pm | Reply
    • oscar

      The value of minimum wage HAS been dropping. Real wages have been dropping since the 80s because they have not kept up with inflation. So we've already tried that experiment of lowering wages to see if it magically creates more jobs and fixes income inequality – it didn't work. Now it's time to try raising wages and pegging them to inflation.

      Requiring employers to pay their employees fairly will REDUCE dependence on government assistance – for individuals and for corporations. We need to stop subsidizing corporations' low wages and poor benefits through our social safety net. You can talk about a culture of dependence all you want, but corporations rely just as heavily, and far less excusably, on government assistance.

      And laissez faire capitalism is only one form of capitalism. Markets are imperfect, competition is imperfect, and there is a place for government involvement to correct those imbalances. That's where food and safety regulation, anti-trust law, and labor law come into play.

      December 10, 2013 at 11:20 am | Reply
    • Jonathan

      Call me crazy but let me ask you this question: Lets just say I want to move out out of my parents home at 19 and become independent. I work 40 hours at McDonald for $7.25. That gives me $1,160 a month. I don't have parents that can pay for my college. I cant qualify for medicaid because I make too much money (You have to be making $850 gross for single to qualify) and I don't qualify for food stamps because of the same issue I mentioned before. Financial aid will probably cover part of my tuition at a community college for an A.A but wont scratch the surface at a state college for when I go to get my B.S. How I'm I suppose to pay for college? Wait a minute I take out a loan for that. right? So after I graduate I have a huge loan to pay off. Thats awesome! I just spent the last 4 to 6 years of my life trying to get ahead to only realize now I'm in the hole about 150k because that it was the American dream is all about. Forgive me for being rude but that just doesn't make sense to me. Raising the minimum wage will allow people to save their money. How many people working minimum wage jobs can say that? With that savings maybe they can pay for college or to get some sort of specialization in something. We are not living in the 50's or 60's where it was ok to be an apprentice electrician, plumber, etc... People were human beings back then. Things weren't so competitive as it is now. Back then you can make an honest living working a union job without spending 4, 6 , 8 years in college and they had great benefits. Right out of High School you were offered a job working for Union. Does that even exist now? Humans have lost that sense of value. The world tells you that you need all this education and for what some people with a masters degree are making minimum wage right now at Burger King. My father was fired after 20 years working for a union. And when he went to interview for another job they gave it to the guy that just came out of college instead of some one with experience. Tell me how fare is that. My philosophy of life is you work to live not the other way around. I am happy with the basic necessities of life.

      December 12, 2013 at 3:25 pm | Reply
    • James

      You won't find a more idealistic romp with fantasy than that. From the first paragraph that presents a false dilema where you presume that raising the minimum wage is socialism and invite a reader to choose - to the false label "government controlled wage" this is a series of outrageously flawed arguments that fly in the face of reality. In the 1930s we had entire families, men, women and children working from before sunrise to after sunset for the wooden shack they lived in and barely enough food to eat: the capitalist vision of the way things should be. When people are starving they are happy to work for "little or NO pay" as you propose. But that won't be the ultrarich sociopaths, will it? Be careful of the world you propose. You might have to live in it one day.

      December 14, 2013 at 9:50 pm | Reply
  14. simplyput

    Simplyput not blue enough to dance with CNN. Forked tongues wag and people poor since NAFTA. Money no more for three decades now. Bad medicine at ACA...many sick people will die. Red skins must make big war to stop poison cool aid. Big fear at moderater's desk. About time.

    December 9, 2013 at 1:59 pm | Reply
  15. Bill Davis

    I do not want a raise, but I do want my salary doubled, I simply spend more than I make,

    Be back next year, I do suspect I will have the same problem next year.

    December 9, 2013 at 11:25 am | Reply
  16. Richard

    Let me see if I understand this correctly. A number of minimum wage workers are, for all practical purposes, asking for a raise. Many of you on this page object to those people asking for higher wages. Can I therefore assume that none of you have ever, in your entire career, asked for a raise? After all, you're opposed to it, right? You think it's wrong to ask for higher wages, right?. You don't want a raise? Ever? Plan on turning your next one down? So you've either never asked for a raise in your entire life, or you're a hypocrite.

    December 8, 2013 at 2:36 pm | Reply
    • Employer

      The point in your comment is "ASKING" for a raise, not "FORCING" your employer to give you a raise, whether you've earned it or are worth it !

      December 9, 2013 at 7:30 am | Reply
    • Dain

      Have no problem with people negotiating with their employer and asking for a raise. Have definitely asked for a raise, but have never asked for it to be doubled. Also never demanded that it become law. These type of workers have to fear automation more than anything else. Robots are taking away all these less skilled jobs. Just saw a video demonstration of a burger making machine that cost $75,000 and can cook four hundred burgers and hour and custom craft each burger according to a customers order, that by the way can be taken from an iPad at the counter instead of a person.

      December 9, 2013 at 3:35 pm | Reply
  17. pjoe

    Why not just make the minimum wage $1,000,000 an hour? Why are you Democrats so stingy?

    December 8, 2013 at 11:38 am | Reply
  18. Dylan

    For everyone complaining that raising the minimum wage will put non-college educated people on the same pay scale as you......let me be the first to remind you....JUST BECAUSE YOU GO TO COLLEGE DOES OT MEAN THAT YOU ARE "ENTITLED" TO A GREAT JOB. in this country, you went to college because you could afford it, and had the grade qualifications. You are not entitled to some special preferences just because you have a degree. talent and ambition is what defines the american dream. not some arrogant college graduate.

    December 6, 2013 at 3:52 pm | Reply
    • Just A thought

      I work for Minimum Wage. I work with the Disabled, Down Syndrome, Autistic, Cerebral Palsy, all Have Intense Behavior, I can get beat up at any time . This is a job that is not for the fragile person you must love this job to do this job. I have Certs in many things and have went to school to do this. I applied for OBAMACARE I live in Florida and my pay is 8.00 a hour no holiday pay no Medical no over time I got my Quote for this Obama Care are you all sitting down cause out of the 1000.00 a month that I make I have normal bill like everyone else my quote was 297.00 a month so I get to live off of about 600.00 a month thank god I own my tiny little home and don't have rent but I do however have a car that needs gas to get me to and from work and must be insured I also have electric to pay like everyone else and a water bill I don't receive government services but I do have 2 boys that are still in school that need shoes and clothing and food. So Here is my option and everyone option at my job we have to find a new job. Can someone tell me What Is Going To Happen To My Residents where will they go who will take care of them when we are gone. I feel raising the Minimum Wage would help But all in all I am going to have to make the decision to find a higher paying job to live.

      December 7, 2013 at 2:08 pm | Reply
      • MlWhite

        That truly is horrible for you. I had no idea. I thought it was supposed to be affordable healthcare.

        December 7, 2013 at 3:24 pm |
      • Dylan

        I really do have sympathy for your situation. Where there is a will there is a way. There will always be a better paying job that is defined by the level of education and so on and so forth, but what I am saying is that no one is ENTITLED to a job when they graduate. I support raising the minimum wage mostly because it is pretty obvious that high end employers can infect afford to pay more. The bottom 60% of americans own just 2.3% of the wealth in the is country and all new income in the last two years has gone to the 1% with the 99% of americans receiving just 7% of that wealth. That is a serious problem that we start fixing by raising the minimum wage. And mind you, people will always be pid higher wages based on education level, the value and competition for the job, etc.

        December 9, 2013 at 10:33 am |
      • successpal

        A sorry tale ... but an inspiring one too. Your work ethic is encouraging and worthy of a wage increase if it is as you describe.. There is no limit on the amount of money we can generate as an economy. So the rich getting richer does not mean the poor get poorer. I support lowering minimum wages to allow more people to start climbing the ladder to self sufficiency. I also believe that innovation is the ticket to growth and prospering. Bring your own ideas to the current work environment if you can't make it happen where you are bring it to the marketplace. A good idea in the right hands will bring value and will always be welcomed in the marketplace and compensated accordingly.

        December 9, 2013 at 3:53 pm |
    • Peppy

      Very well written, I agree

      December 7, 2013 at 5:48 pm | Reply
    • joe

      I disagree. Going to college, (and hard work) should entitle you to a good job. Allowing people without degrees to be on similiar pay scales is simply poor judgment. america is already behind in math, science, (and pracically everything else). If you could get a high paying job without college, you will see less people attend. I was a chef making great money, but decided that the long hours and weekends sucked, so I opted for a 9-5. it was a college degree that brought me there. Flipping a frozen burger does not award you 15 bucks an hour. Yes, 7.25 is low, I dont argue that, but lets be realistic. These jobs were never intended to raise families on. Its high school work. Its work for the uneducated or undocumented.

      December 9, 2013 at 11:27 am | Reply
      • Dylan

        It is work that current college students like myself have to live on. If i did not have parents to support meow chose to disown me because I am gay, then I would be on welfare and food stamps. And you would still complain about that. We need jobs. But not just high end good paying jobs. All those jobs we outsourced in the 90's need to come back to the USA. Thats what we need. someone still has to cut your meet. Someone still has to manufacture your computer, make your pizza, pick up your trash, sort through your trash and decide what can be recycled, tow your car when you break down, put oil in your car, fix it when its broken. these are not jobs for uneducated and undocumented. First of all, the undocumented should not be hired over a legal citizen or legal immigrant who is here on a work visa. Second, your assertion is border lining on prejudice and makes poor people out to be moochers who have no aspiration to work. For example, read the first response to my comment. People like that should not have to live in poverty even though they can and are willing to work. The distribution of wealth in this country is extremely outrageous and if it keeps up, then we will end up with the majority of americans in a desolate state of being which will only lead to one thing. You can look to history and figure it out. Or Mexico. They are pretty good example as well. again, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING IN THIS LIFE! GO WORK FOR IT! and I'm a liberal. why am I the one having to remind you of that??

        December 9, 2013 at 7:39 pm |
    • R. Soto

      You are dead wrong. A college graduate deserves more pay simply because it is more educated. Ambition means nothing if you don't know what 2 plus 2 equals to. People with your way of thinking are the ones pushing a third world country mentality into the USA. Now you can see a lot of idiots holding authority positions without being qualified for them. Those are the idiots that take companies and institutions to their final demise and they will, ultimately bring demise to the whole country.

      December 9, 2013 at 11:58 am | Reply
      • Dylan

        Both of you are completely wrong. First of all, if you go to college and expect a job when you get out, then you better go study something useful. Not Womens Studies, Psychology, or some absurd medium of study that has NO job offers once you graduate. You may be educated, but you are an educated idiot by going to college and thinking that you are ENTITLED to something that someone else without a college degree is able to do better than you. Its called competition. So go compete. And don't use your degree as some defense as to why you deserve something over someone else. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to college and at the end of the day, the marketplace and free enterprise will determine who gets hired. Not some arrogant college graduate. Plenty of people have made it big without college. By entitling college graduates to a job when they graduates only makes it harder for those people who did not receive a college education to move up the economic ladder.

        December 9, 2013 at 7:31 pm |
  19. California

    Imagine minimum wage being raised from 10 to 15 an hour and you're making 15 an hour. Please tell us how that's fair to the one that got himself off minimum wage and is now brought back down to it.

    December 5, 2013 at 11:51 pm | Reply
    • Samantha

      Education...that's the ticket!

      December 6, 2013 at 12:34 pm | Reply
      • California


        December 6, 2013 at 2:59 pm |
      • ncwitowski

        Completely disagree...
        I have a degree. I'm sick of it being worthless after being told "Business management is the way to go after healthcare!" I have debt from student loans and they're not paying for themselves- and neither is minimum wage. You know how many times I've been told, "We need experience, NOT a degree?" A lot. A lot of businesses do not give two shits if you have a degree. What they care about is how much you've WORKED in the area you're applying for. Also, while searching for second and third jobs to support and pay my student loans, I was told I was OVERQUALIFIED (yep, at fast food restaurants and a couple of retail stores). Why? Because the management didn't have degrees. I'm not sure buy it seems they were actually bias.

        I am a poor, degree holding student that does not think she is entitled to a higher paying job because of the degree, but I am deserving of higher pay because I have worked hard and am intelligent and can do the jobs I have to do. But I'm paid bare minimum because that's what my company can do when so many people are looking for jobs.

        December 10, 2013 at 11:35 am |
    • Nase

      It's fair because you're working full-time (possible overtime) in a position you ENJOY, and it's fair because your boss will increase your wage in proportion.

      Most minimum wage workers get less than 30 hours a week and will never have a chance at overtime.

      Your boss will give out raises, and if he doesn't then his employees will either leave for a simpler minimum wage job, or his employees with go to another employer who WILL give raises.

      It really is that simple. If some businesses fall through the roof, well that's capitalism at work and it shows that their infrastructure wasn't strong to begin with.

      December 7, 2013 at 9:43 am | Reply
  20. tollens

    I think Obama and the unions are close friends. Obama needs people to stop thinking about health care and the unions came to the rescue with a protest. The unions did the same thing with Walmart by protesting and pretending to be low paid Walmart employees getting the shaft.

    December 5, 2013 at 5:59 pm | Reply
    • greg

      ...Because walmart employees are paid well, and well taken care of right? GTFOH!

      December 6, 2013 at 7:11 pm | Reply
  21. frustrated

    Reading the replys about working multiple jobs and minimum jobs not paying enough, I am amazed at all the minimum wage workers with top of the line cell phones with data plans. You would think that if they were struggling that the extra $100 per month plus the $200 they paid for the phone would come in handy. I would also predict they have $40 per month internet service, plus $8 per month for net flix, etc. I see them on the side of the building smoking $5 per pack cigarettes. I started out as a porter at a donut shop, then found a job on a production line. While having a family, I went to night school on and off for 20 years until I graduated college as an enginner. I made the choice to sacrifice a lot of years of my personal life for the betterment of my family. Was it tough, you bet. There were times I was working two jobs and going to school at the same time. Was it worth it, you bet. People need to realize that life isn't handed to everyone on a silver platter and for most, determination and hard work are necessary to get ahead. I was in my upper 40's before I was financially comfortable. I did not have a personal cell phone until 5 years ago. Did I want one? Yes, but I was not in a financial position to have one. Live withinn your means, go to school, and keeping trying and pushing through the difficult times. It is worth it!

    December 5, 2013 at 5:54 pm | Reply
    • Cathy Klager

      You are right....we're diminishing the hard work ethic because now many think they're "entitled" to free cell phones, tax payer subsidized housing, $15 an hour jobs, etc. Many do not understand that a blanket increase in the minimum wage only hurts job creation. If you work hard, most employers will reward you and pay you more. If they do not, you go elsewhere and they have lost a valuable employee. If it's earned, it's appreciated and cared for. If things are just given...not so appreciated. I have seen it first hand....Title 8 housing provided and the home is trashed and not cared for...cell phones given away – to 12 year olds and soon thereafter lost or broken! As a working taxpayer unable to retire, I am tired of having the government waste MY earned money by giving it away to people that have not earned it or worked for it. And NO, I am not some heartless person....if you're truly in need and unable to work I am glad to help. I speak to the thousands taking advantage of the American Taxpayer.

      December 6, 2013 at 8:39 am | Reply
      • greg

        FREE CELL PHONES? ... lol .... and we just added 200,000+ jobs... now is the time...
        what about all the government agencies that corrupt this country into more debt, the problem is not the citizens...
        You might be confused!

        December 6, 2013 at 7:23 pm |
    • Dylan

      Its not your place to determine weather or not someone is appreciative enough. Living on $7.25 an hour is not enough anymore, and that is a result of capitalism. No one is talking about handing someone a life on a silver platter. With the minim wage being $15.oo an hour, that still will not come even close to being anywhere near the amount that the 1% take in. The top 1& own 42% of the wealth in America while the bottom 60% of americans own just 2.3% of the wealth. 93% of all new income in the United States has gone to the top 1%, while the other 99% of americans received only 7% of that income. there is a difference between defending the upperclass, and protecting your individual ability to possible become the upperclass. we need a higher minimum wage. every argument against it is the same crap that people complained about when it was only $1.25. we need a higher minimum wage, and for everyone who thinks contrary...please remind yourself tat your are not the upperclass. stop defending them.

      December 6, 2013 at 3:45 pm | Reply
    • greg

      you really couldnt afford a phone?... really? ... Sounds like you just dont want people to know where you are?... LOL
      Why is it your place to judge peoples lifestyles?... Do the rich go through the drive thru to get their 5-star hamburger and fries?... what about the people that can afford to buy the $10 pack of smokes?

      Most people can afford everyday costs. Whats wrong with making it easier for the people who can't?

      December 6, 2013 at 7:19 pm | Reply
  22. Free Man in the Republic of Texas


    SEIU President
    MUST NOT make more $$$
    than highest paid UNION member.

    December 5, 2013 at 5:41 pm | Reply
  23. What a joke

    No one is going to pay you $15 per hour when you have no education. If the company would like to pay you more, then they are welcome to do that. If the minimum wage increases, so do all the goods and services. You won't be taking home more than you were on minimum wage due to increasing prices. If you are so concerned that you can not provide for your children, you should not have had children you can not afford. I graduated from college, have a job teaching, and knew I would never be able to afford more than one child on a teachers salary.

    December 5, 2013 at 5:24 pm | Reply
    • Dink Lane

      North Dakota today.... as we sit here ... Pays $12 – $15 / hour...... to their McDonalds employees..... Why? Unemployment is so LOW (3.1%) and the average wage runs around $25 to $40 / hour..... NO ONE will work for minimum wage....... If you want employees.... you have to ENCOURAGE them in a GOOD economy .......

      December 5, 2013 at 7:49 pm | Reply
      • Employer

        The reason ND is paying those wages is NOT because people won't work for less but because ND does not have the people available for those jobs in ND. They're hoping people will move there for the jobs. Have you been to ND in winter. You need that wage just to pay your heating bill.

        December 9, 2013 at 7:37 am |
  24. Peppy

    Bammy just admitted he did live with his ILLEGAL dui uncle. Yet another bold face lie from the inept one.

    December 5, 2013 at 4:03 pm | Reply
  25. Linda

    He keeps talking about teenagers need to be able to work for experience. Not all minimum wage jobs are teenagers. A lot of adults out there.

    December 5, 2013 at 3:07 pm | Reply
    • Tom Tommerson

      Linda we are talking about fast food workers right? If they are adults working for McDonald's it is possible they should be looking for better employment that pays more? Hypocrits are funny, you all are the people that eat at mcdonalds and shop at walmart.....then will be the same people who bitch because they have to pay more to eat fast food or for their groceries....If you hate these places sooo much, don't shop at them. Plenty of Ma and Pa shops out there that don't pay min wage to their employees....why don't you shop at them????? Because they are too expensive...see how that circle works?

      December 6, 2013 at 11:07 am | Reply
  26. Michelle

    "In the richest country in the world, no one working full time should be living in poverty," Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

    December 5, 2013 at 2:59 pm | Reply
    • nclaw441

      No one should think he/she can live alone, much less raise a family, on the minimum wage. It was never designed for that.

      December 6, 2013 at 7:54 pm | Reply

    Raise the damn minimum wage! People are sick of working for pennies serving nasty azz Christians on Sunday after church at the marts and nasty pompous azz ungrateful rethulicants on Friday night at the steak houses for dinner. Just raise IT.

    December 5, 2013 at 2:53 pm | Reply
    • Peppy


      December 5, 2013 at 4:04 pm | Reply
  28. Aeg

    It is funny to hear people say raising the minimum wage would hurt the economy.Considering the median income is the same as it was 25 years ago and companies are making record profits.Keeping wages low the Gop mantra makes no sense when those same people with low wages qualify for government handouts at the taxpayers expense,while companies see record breaking profits.One does not and should not have to go to college to have a decent standard of leaving. $15.00 hr is roughly $31,200 a year and with the cost of living of our time, that is peanuts.Everyone is quick to say go back to school and better yourself and I would agree so one could make 80k a year but does one really need a college degree to make 30k lousy a year..I think not.

    December 5, 2013 at 2:46 pm | Reply
    • Matt

      Companies are making record profits so what makes you think that they won't be recording record profits if they raise the minimum wage?? Prices will go up and profits will not be impacted...remember, companies are in the business of being profitable!! Prices go up...cost of living goes up...and in 5 years we have the 'raise the minimum wage' legislation come to the floor again.

      December 9, 2013 at 4:54 pm | Reply
  29. Cathy Klager

    The mininimum wage should not be raised. Why? Because that would hurt the people it's designed for. If all merchants are forced to increase their wages, the cost of goods will rise proportionately. The net gain is ZERO for the minimum wage earner because he/she will be paying more for EVERY purchase. This much of an increase will only diminish entry level jobs. Keep in mind, these are entry level jobs, not meant in and of themselves to support a family. They are starting jobs and if someone EARNS higher wages, it's through further experience, training and education. The only entity that would benefit is the FEDERAL government because they would receive more tax money from the employee and employer in increased FICA taxes. Businesses cannot spend MORE than they take in and remain in business. If the government forces their costs UP, they will be forced to raise prices. The minimum wage earner gains NOTHING. President Obama clearly has never run a business.

    December 5, 2013 at 2:02 pm | Reply
    • Ryan

      Wrong, Cathy.

      Businesses may try to raise the prices of their products but you forget about competition and the effort of companies to sell more products...

      If wages are increased and a company increases the prices of its products as a result, they will lose sales because people won't be inclined to purchase that item, instead they will seek a similar alternative from a competitor, however, because they will recieve more money from their wages, they will have more disposable income to purchase more products, even if it costs a bit more than normal.

      They will have money to spend on more things compared to having to spend what they have just to survive and take welfare funds. With more money in their paychecks they don't have to depend on other people's taxes.

      This multiplies exponentially in that more money they make, the less welfare they need, and the more money they make, the more taxes they contribute, which fills the government chests that contributes to lowering debt and contributing to society.

      So going back to companies raising prices, as a result of raising wages, they may raise their prices but with compeition eager to snatch away any market share they can, will offer alternatives at lower cost. Instead of lowering prices at first to preserve their profit margins, companies will attempt to do things on the payroll side including cutting hours, letting people go, making operations more efficient, or make more products. But when that happens and they realize they have to sell their products at lower cost to keep up with competitors, their true motives become clear...

      They don't want to cut into their massive profit margins, THAT'S what they really fear, NOT raising wages.

      And before you say "But they'll cut jobs! That defeats the purpose of raising wages!" Remember that MILLIONS of people will have 50%-100% more money coming to them every month which they can purchase MORE products. Then the law of supply and demand takes place, if the demand is high then the company must make the supply meet the demand, the only ways to do that right now are to increase factory production by either making more factories and/or hiring more labor, and sadly that also includes overseas labor.

      With the movement to stop rewarding companies who hire overseas, catch tax evading entities, and tighten free-trade agreements to make American-made products more competitive, companies will find their overseas operations are not as profitable as before.

      December 6, 2013 at 5:04 am | Reply
      • Tom Tommerson


        You speak like you can see the future? IF all companies are forced to pay their employees more....they will all raise their prices...if what you say is true what is stopping companies from undercuttng each other now for bigger sales? According to you that is will happen after they have to take a 100% gain on their employees wages....

        This will hurt the people it is designed to help, as they will make 2x and much but stuff will cost 2x as much....and they will no longer qualify for benefits so they will have a net loss....this will also hurt the middle class as i'm assuming someone making 50k a year isn't going to magically get their wage jumped up to 100k just because the min wage was raised...only people it wont hurt...the rich.

        December 6, 2013 at 11:02 am |
      • HereInTheUSA

        Who are you people kidding? – This is complete BS – The REAL American economy is still in the toilet, just waiting to be flushed.



        How's that been working for us?

        We need more Americans, like Perot tried to be, to get some sensible measures put in place to protect America, the American economy and American jobs.



        December 6, 2013 at 12:20 pm |
      • ProtectAmericanJobs

        Start Protecting Income-Tax-Paying American Citizens Jobs and the rest will take care of itself.



        * The outsourcing is not just limited to unskilled and skilled blue-collar manufacturing jobs either. It's also impacting white-collar jobs like, plant managers, engineers, IT jobs, purchasing, customer service, etc........... being outsourced to India, China................. When will it stop?

        Foreigners will be coming here and buying our houses after we all foreclose. They'll also be taking over our government too, after it defaults from lack income tax revenue, due to businesses in the USA shutting down and or US jobs being outsourced and everyone being out of work.

        Just the other day a friend that works in the IT department of a major paint company found out that 90% of their IT department in the USA is being laid off and will be replaced by IT techs in India. He has until February and he's gone, but not until he helps train and transition the job to those that are replacing him.

        This summer I learned from a friend of mine, that's a highly educated engineer, that their company had recently displaced 100 of their 105 engineers here in the USA by replacing them with engineers in India. He was fortunate enough to be one of the 5 out 105 American engineers that they kept here in the USA.

        * This is eventually going to effect even the few Americans who are championing outsourcing.

        Our leaders better wake up and put some sensible measures in place to stem the tide or this is going to have a devastating effect on America and the American citizens.

        December 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm |
  30. Fish

    If people would simply read their history books, the reason for the income gap and the need to increase the minimum wage s due to deregulation of the markets and banks. While we have had the minimum wage law for years we only required very modest increases because we had more opportunities. Ever since we deregulated the markets they are hoarding money which normally would be creating jobs. Pass Glass-Steagall for the 21st century and see these issues vanish as well as the other issues pertaining to our poor economy!!!

    December 5, 2013 at 1:17 pm | Reply
  31. The GOP Solution


    December 5, 2013 at 12:37 pm | Reply
    • cookie

      Haha ... that post accomplished nothing. You must be writing angry comments while you wait for the Obamacare web site to process.

      December 5, 2013 at 1:06 pm | Reply
      • Tom Tommerson

        HAHAH cookie that was great, thanks for laugh!

        December 6, 2013 at 12:06 pm |
      • hertz doughnut

        Accomplished nothing except exposing the truth about the GOP.

        December 8, 2013 at 5:58 pm |


      December 5, 2013 at 2:46 pm | Reply
  32. Justin B

    I agree with Rep. Jason Chaffetz, I am where I am today because I wasn't happy with the money I was making when I was 16 years old, hell I wasn't happy with the money I was making when I was 21 years old. So I went back to school, and I went to school for something that was needed in the work force and was needed where I lived.. We have college educated people that are working at McDonalds or Walmart that are striking and saying the minimum wage should be 15 dollars an hour, because they say the can't afford to pay their student loans and family and can't find a job using their degree, Well if you didn't go to school for marine biology and live in Utah, or Exercise Physiology and then realize you don't need a 4 year degree to teach people to work out.

    Furthermore, If we raise the minimum wage, they won't be any richer then they currently are! Food prices, some clothing prices and supplies are set based on minimum wages. You raise the wage to 15.00 an hour, there will be no Dollar Stores, as they will become 5 dollar stores, and McDonald's Dollar menu will become the three dollar menu.

    Its never to late to go back to school, climb that latter of life, never settle! If you're poor, the Government will throw money at you to go to school, some hospital based nursing programs will pay for you to go to school if you promise to work for them. GO TO SCHOOL FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED!!!

    December 5, 2013 at 12:22 pm | Reply
    • Michelle

      Unfortunately with the shortage of good jobs it's not just young unskilled workers working the minimum wage lines. I've met many skilled workers and people who even have degrees being forced to work any where they can. Even people with degrees are having to work 2-3 part time jobs, low wage jobs, to make ends meet.

      December 5, 2013 at 2:55 pm | Reply
      • Justin B

        Thats still no excuse, its people rushing out of high school to go to college for some imaginary job that there is only a need for a select number of employees. I wanted to be a brewer, but lets face it, there are only a select number of brewery's and those brewers never leave, so why would I go to school to learn to do that without any job security. And thats what people do now a days, and they end up working at walmart or Mcdonalds. I researched my career choice and had a good job 1 month before I even finished college.

        December 5, 2013 at 6:31 pm |
    • Ron

      Good point Justin. Regarding education, Newt brought up a good idea he presented as a GOP presidential candidate. After a certain period, tie unemployment benefits to participation in a job training program. Barbara Lee's response was a give away to lefts real intent. She agreed job training is important but should not be required in order to receive unemployment benefits, heavens no, if that were to happen they might not vote for us!

      December 6, 2013 at 10:16 am | Reply
  33. Minnie Mouse

    Minimum wage for sure needs to be increased because it's not meeting basic standards of living but not at the ridiculous amount of $15 an hour that people are petitioning and striking for. What these people don't understand are that most people who have college degrees aren't even making that per hour and it would be disastrous for our country to give such a huge wage hike at one time. Jobs would be lost, hours would be cut and prices would all be hiked on everything, and the fast food dollar menu would no longer exist.

    The wage should be around $9 or $9.50 per hour and brought on in .50 increments over a 5 year period. Nothing is being done about yearly costs of living wages. This is something that everyone needs and it's not happening any more by many companies. All profitable companies should be passing out yearly or quarterly bonuses to all employees to also show appreciation. This does not happen enough either.

    It's not just the lower income families who need assistance, it's everyone. So if you going to do something, do something that is going to benefit everyone in this country who needs assistance and the middle class also needs to be included. These are the ones who fend for themselves and have to pay for everything with no public state assistance or federal aid.

    December 5, 2013 at 9:51 am | Reply
    • bau

      ok Amal you can pay your employees the higher wage and then we will consider.

      December 5, 2013 at 1:56 pm | Reply
  34. BDR

    By all means increase the minimum wage so that I wont have to subsidize the likes of McDonald's and Walmart any longer.The trick will be to get these greedy entities to eat the cost.
    It's disgusting,the magnitude of the greed.Many employer's with far less resources choose to elevate their employee's above the poverty level willingly, yet these multi-billion dollar entities choose to compensate their employees as little as possible,right down to the point where they qualify for charity assistance it's just another form of corporate welfare.
    For those who would disagree I wonder if your mind would change if these working poor stopped working for a week and you couldn't get your morning latte or your usual McMuffin the restroom at your favorite restaurant was unclean the dishes unwashed etc..etc...etc...and etc...perhaps then you would begin to notice the myriad of unseen hands that serve your wants and needs everyday without healthcare without vacation or sick time without full-time hours or full-time pay often working numerous jobs to support their families.

    December 5, 2013 at 2:54 am | Reply
    • dramaofdukkhaqueen

      The only things that I fear with an increase in minimum wage is that companies will decrease the amount of employees they have, AND prices will increase because of the extra money that will be paid to cover the minimum wage hike. After both of the previous minimum wage increases I have witnessed, this is exactly what has happened.

      Wouldn't it be a better plan to raise the poverty level and assist those that are working for minimum wage with more food stamps, better child care assistance, etc? I do believe that there is a standard of living that we should all have, but I don't think corporations and businesses really care about that other than the charity they may electively give. Personally, I think encouraging people to work by assisting them is a much better idea than raising the minimum wage will cause price hikes for us all.

      December 7, 2013 at 8:03 pm | Reply
  35. Matt

    Don't raise the minimum wage, it will take the college graduates like me who are now struggling to find work and put people who never graduated high school on the same pay scale. You will literally destroy the incentive to get an education and destroy small business to boot. Thanks a lot morons on the left.

    December 5, 2013 at 1:34 am | Reply
    • Generation Politics

      Wow you may want to go back to school for economics too. Let's set aside the incredible SELFISH view point you have and look at the facts. Anyone who graduates still needs real world experience in the field their in before they can make it anywhere. In my case I started as a intern moved up the corporate ladder.

      Second increasing the minimum wage would significantly boost the economy, which in turn gives businesses more money to work with to hire more people.

      Your comment is the typical stereotype of the Right selfish and greedy.

      December 5, 2013 at 11:12 am | Reply
      • cookie

        No, you need a lesson in economics. Increasing the min wage will HURT the economy. It will force companies to raise prices and lay off more people to compensate for the higher wages. More people will be unemployed, and less goods will be purchased because of higher prices. Plain and simple. People in America are just spoiled and don't understand that they can't have whatever they want. Dems are just trying to keep the low/low-middle class vote.

        December 5, 2013 at 12:16 pm |
      • bau

        What school of economics did you go too?? Cracker-Jack State??

        December 5, 2013 at 1:59 pm |
      • CPA

        You should have a comma after Second. Just saying. Minimum wage jobs are not meant for people to live off of. $15 an hour is more money an hour than a surgical technologist makes an hour. This is someone who went to school for a minimum of 12 months post secondary and is counted on more than the person making my chicken sandwich at McDonald's. So if you raise Johnny BigMac's salary to $15 an hour (and I am willing to bet that if true numbers are posted most of these employees are below the HS diploma graduate level – means they did not graduate HS) what are you going to do for Sally Surgical Tech? See, there is always a trickle effect for decisions that are made and someone who has "climbed the corporate ladder" you should know this. Who in their right mind ever thought is was a good idea to pop out a couple of kids and try to raise them on minimum wage? This does not pass the common sense test – oh there is the probably the root cause, common sense. I say raise it to $35 an hour – then what? Big Mac's for $26.50? No one is buying – minimum wage jobs are barely entry level workforce type jobs, they are for kids and college students – not 25-50 year olds raising families.....unreal....

        December 5, 2013 at 2:52 pm |
      • Degeneration X

        You might want to go back to school for basic spelling and grammar. It's "in the field THEY'RE in" not "their". How, may I ask were you able to climb the corporate ladder without knowing how to use the most basic words properly? Pretending to be successful in order to get a point across doesn't work when you can't write very well. Also, $15 will not happen because it is ridiculous. The minimum wage should be kept pretty standard across the country, around $8 to $8.50. If you want to get paid more, learn a skill or trade. The fast food industry runs just fine with unskilled part-time workers. It is not the place to work if you need to support your family of four. That's just basic common sense. You are already going to get your health care paid by my tax dollars, I shouldn't have to spend three more of them for a dollar cheeseburger. Wake up.

        December 5, 2013 at 3:15 pm |

      MATT, You have no vision. The more they make serving you...

      December 5, 2013 at 2:48 pm | Reply
    • Michelle

      They lied about the good jobs that come with degrees. College graduates are already working the minimum wage jobs but now they are also loaded with debt. None of the high paying jobs they have been promised are out there. 80% of college grads are eventually forced to move back in with mom and dad. I found an article about it from 3 years ago. Grads being forced to work for minimum wage is becoming a new norm.

      December 5, 2013 at 3:10 pm | Reply
      • Tom Tommerson

        Who is They Michelle? Blame them then....

        December 6, 2013 at 12:05 pm |
  36. Amal Guneratne

    This section says 'no responses' but I would like a response from Stephanie Cutter (or any one else for that matter). Maybe some will direct me to the right format for what I want it to be (I am new to this – btw and independent)).

    So here is the nuts and bolts. The other day Stephanie Cutter stated that most CEO's of the major companies are for an increase in the minimum wage. The Federal or state minimum wage act is "Minimum", so the CEO's that believe the minimum wage should be higher can do so within their own company. Do I really want to believe that companies are saying – yes please raise the minimum wage so I can pay more for my workers but without it I cannot – just give more bonuses to those that don't need it Please.... and Newt, and if I recall RNC Chairman (who was on that day) – why not challenge her on that

    December 4, 2013 at 11:52 pm | Reply

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