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Aloha all,
Minimum wage is an entry level pay. A real living wage is what one earns after developing skills, getting an education, or starts and develops their own business.
As a successful business owner, I can tell you this increase will decrease the number of new jobs available for our youth. I would never consider hiring a 16 year old kid or much less an adult with no experience for $10 an hour. There are costs to training and developing skills. You will see the youth unemployment sky rocket even higher than it is, and you will see fewer jobs. If you have never owned your own business you might not understand.
Giving families an increase in earned income tax credit would have been the smarter way to go for those that have lingered in these low paying jobs due to a lack of skills or education.
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TonyB,
There is also the issue of a lack of available jobs beyond entry level minimum wage. I've known people with both skills and education who have worked those kinds of jobs because they were too proud to take welfare if they could work, including people with masters degrees in STEM fields who ended up washing dishes to bring in at least some income. There are many women who are trying to raise families on minimum wage after finding themselves the head of the household. Maybe those jobs aren't "supposed" to be family wage jobs, but since the last recession kicked in more and more adults with families are working those kinds of jobs. In fact that is a major factor in the high youth unemployment, too many adults working in fast food and service jobs formerly occupied by kids.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Carol,
Good points. I totally agree with you on lack of job creation.
As a business owner that increase in minimum wage will not increase the number of new jobs, but will further decrease it.
An increase in earned income tax credit would help those you mentioned too.
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As a business owner I'd be ashamed of myself if I paid anyone minimum wage .....or reduced their hourly because they earned a tip .....
this being Hawaii especially true - like it or not we are all Ohana on this rock.
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Bullwinkle,
I'm not ashamed at all. Your obviously not a business owner. More than half of my 65 employees started at minimum wage. Thankfully most are not satisfied with this wage and work hard for advancement, and thankfully most have done just that.
After all, the wage I pay an employee does not include what I pay for in FICA, unemployment insurance, health insurance, training, etc. etc. Don't think that even at minimum wage that is what it costs a business owner to employ that person.
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True, We are all Ohana in this world. And I apologize in advance as I do not intend to be argumentative, but I am overly-sensitive to this topic. I have had to make real hard decisions in the past few years, due to the economy and the new health insurance laws. I've had to close two business locations and let a lot of good people go.
But I can honestly say there is no greater feeling in the world than building a business and providing for others by giving them a job.
Aloha and good night from Atlanta GA
