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Great point: that $10/hr worker actually costs the employer at least $20/hr, after which the worker also pays income tax on their wage.
Can I drive the insurance to work? Will the taxes keep me warm at night?
In any case, exactly yes: learning a skill or trade guarantees that you will be "useful" in the current and future economies. Just make sure that you're either working in an unregulated trade, or living in an area where apprenticeships are available in your chosen trade, or you'll be both skilled and unemployed.
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Hemp and Costco
I'm not for prohibition, but hemp isn't going to magically save the economy. There are plenty of third world countries growing hemp and it hasn't saved theirs. Not surprisingly, China is the largest hemp exporter in the world.
Comparing Costco and Walmart jobs is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. Walmart doesn't charge $100/yr for an executive membership for the privilege of shopping there. Also, as far as I know Walmart doesn't have skilled labor jobs like forklift drivers. I don't know about you, but my average Costco receipt is several hundred dollars. My average Walmart receipt is usually under $20, mostly because I only go there if I have to. Walmart sells cheap junk, generally to people who can't afford better. Costco sells nice quality items.
High paying Costco jobs are a bit of an invention that Costco has for good press. Not everybody you see working there actually works for Costco. They sub contract out some of their positions to other companies who only pay their workers $9-11/hour and no benefits. (Walmart claims their average experienced worker makes $13).
There are two reasons whey there isn't a Costco on the East side of the island. The first reason is that through their membership process they know the address of every customer, and know that people on the East side are already shopping there. Their sales would go up somewhat if they built a Costco over here, but how long would it take to recoup the construction cost of a multi-million dollar facility... why bring the Costco to the people when the people are already going to Costco?
The second reason is that its nearly impossible to find enough fee simple land for a Costco and their huge parking lot on the east side and the permitting and zoning hurdles here are legendary.
I don't think we'll ever see a Costco on the east side. The best we could hope for is a competitor like Sam's Club. IF a competitor shows a serious interest, Costco might pull the trigger on an east side store to keep them out.
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"One more question - if Cost Co is such a great employer - how do they do it? What is their model and why dont more employers follow it ? They seem really successful AND offer good wages and benefits..... and why dont they come to East hawaii?"
my two cents; Costco is an employer that values people over cash .... they have decided that by paying a good living they can hire the top 20% and retain them.
UPS is another good example
why arent they here?: demographics
The east side not having the disposable income to support a store on its own - our demographics lean more to wall mart and mcducks dollar menus
one doesnt see to many bmw & 'benz dealers out here either what does stand out is the number of auto parts and beer stops per capita..... a plus in my opinion - grin
demographics.....
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Demographics, sure, but reinforced by the unwritten anti-development posture. (Supposedly, Costco broke ground on the east side, then gave up and went to Kona.)
In a "money-driven" economy, you have to have a ghetto where the "service class" can afford to live.
Today, Puna is that ghetto; when the gentrification comes (it always does, given time), the new ghetto will probably be Kau (think: HOVE).
A higher minumum-wage won't change the status quo.
Great discussion, awareness, and ideas. I would have to agree with a lot of what has been written. So maybe raising the minimum wage is not what should be done?. Adding a NEW Living wage to this community and across America could help millions?. See the companies that make gross profits, and need many people to do this should pay living wages in the community they are doing business within. It may be hard to compare flipping burgers these days with steel making factories, or coal mining, or even the making of cars and aviation. But America's industries have changed over the years and so have their economic impacts. Mom and pop shops trying to compete with Burger king is a joke. Mom and pop shops and other small businesses should have minimum wage jobs available. Yet the large corps should pay a NEW wage called a community living wage. JMO. That way Mcdonalds, burger kings, Walmarts wont always build in poor nieghbor hoods, AND if they do they will have to hire locally and pay a higher wage, that is appropriate for that area. When I look around Puna we have a lot of these larger corps in this area that should be offering what the mills, factories, farming, and mines at least offered?. Again just my opinion. Does seem like folks lined up and moved for those competitive jobs, and if they got one they did not just let it go like nowadays.
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As a business owner with over 150 employees I support a minimum wage increase. In fact I will be submitting a bill for an increase in January at State Legislature. All statistics aside, common sense, compassion, and logic tell me that this is pono and will be a small step toward a more equitable society.
Some have said that this won't help poor people; I disagree. According to some analyses, the median age of minimum wage earners is 30, and more than half are women. So it's not just for teenagers living with parents- it's also for struggling heads of households and moms, as well as hardworking folks who lack marketable skills or may be starting over after a rough spell.
And this increase will raise the whole lower end of the pay scale- that's good for a lot of workers.
Russell
Russell
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Russell
Would you mind sharing the wage you pay your employees and how many are part time.
If you want to do the pono thing , perhaps you should give all of your employees a raise !
And will raise the lower end of costs and prices to match, pricing the lower end out of the market, releasing none of the pressure, the exact opposite of which needs to happen.
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You can always shop at a health food store where employees are paid the normal low rates and all the food costs 30% more anyway.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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quote:
Originally posted by Russell
As a business owner with over 150 employees I support a minimum wage increase. In fact I will be submitting a bill for an increase in January at State Legislature. All statistics aside, common sense, compassion, and logic tell me that this is pono and will be a small step toward a more equitable society.
Some have said that this won't help poor people; I disagree. According to some analyses, the median age of minimum wage earners is 30, and more than half are women. So it's not just for teenagers living with parents- it's also for struggling heads of households and moms, as well as hardworking folks who lack marketable skills or may be starting over after a rough spell.
And this increase will raise the whole lower end of the pay scale- that's good for a lot of workers.
Russell
I think this is fantastic!
Unfortunately, just like amazon.com supports the online sales tax because it will eliminate all online competition from "mom and pop" operations who can never keep track of paying sales tax in the other 49 states, I'm suspicious. Please explain more about your business(es) before we all join hands and dance around singing praises to your glory. There are always niche businesses that succeed and they generally succeed by selling thing that people "want" versus what they need to stay alive.
"According to some analyses, the median age of minimum wage earners is 30, and more than half are women."
According to some analyses, more than half the population is women. Actually, I think that is according to all analyses.
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