do you think that the minium wage raise in ohio will affect our cost of living in a bad way.?
924915
Minimum wage increases generally don't effect much except the very low end items that minimum wage earner purchase.  Other than that it is generally a good thing for very low wage earners.
1052822
Since 1997 the minimum wage has remained the same...despite rising costs of EVERYTHING!  Yet congress o.k.'d a raise for themselves.........Aren't republicans repulsive?
490542
Would everyone like to earn more money?  Sure thing, from that standpoint it sounds great.\n\nBut the problem is this, when you raise the minimum wage, prices will go up in the market, reducing the effect of the wage increase.  Job availibily will go down, because the USA will become less competitive on the international market from a price standpoint.  The same people who received the "raise" will have the highest potential to lose their job.\n\nIf you look at the minimum wage as what you're going to earn, then you need to wake up, start learning some new things, find a new way to earn, find a better job, do something different.\n\nIf you're living in the USA and making minimum wage, it's your choice, opportunity is available, you just have to pursue it everyday!!
328718
All of your question was mindless dribble, none of what you claim is true. With some education in learning the facts you could have some hope. Redistribution of wealth is easy to check, you must be one of the tax payers earning over $400,000 a year and it was you who got the tax cut at the expense of the working class who have seen higher taxes. Look up the last Minimum wage increase and fine the facts, you will find there is no evidence to support your claim that it adds to higher prices. BTw, when I go all over the country I stay at the Hilton. I also play golf with Republicans every week at the Country club. I am a brick layer, now teach me about the real work you do in life.
283333
Minimum wage is not necessarily a bad thing. Imagine if you will, what would happen if there were no minimum wage. There are a number of companies today that pay there entry level employees minimum wage. (Usual manual labor or low skill level jobs) If there were no minimum wage, these companies would pay their employees less. If minimum wage is currently $5.15/hr I believe. So am employee making minimum wage works 50 hors per week, that's 40 regular hours at $5.15 ($206.00) and 10 over time at $7.725 ($77.25) per hour, then they would earn $283.25 pre week. That's about $1,133.00 per month. Depending on where you live, that's the coast of an apartment... In some places, it not enough for an apartment. Since I live in Central Delaware, let me us this local as an example. \nIncome: $1,133 /mo\nTaxes:  $113.00 / mo (10% based on regular hours)\nStarting Cash: $1,000.00\nCheep, run down one bedroom apartment:  $500.00 /mo\nCar insurance of an old car:                       $ 65.00 /mo\nElectric, assuming low usage:                     $ 65.00 /mo\nHome Phone, assuming no extras               $ 35.00 /mo\nFuel for Car, assuming used for work only   $ 60.00 /mo\nGroceries fro one Assuming frugality           $250.00 /mo\nTOTAL:                                                    $975.00 /mo\nRemainder: (For emergencies, savings, \nRecreation, etc...)                                     $ 25.00 /mo\n\nGranted, that at the end of the year, this person would receive a tax refund of about $5,891.60, but that doesn’t help this person on a daily bases the rest of the year. \n\nNow, consider that these same companies provide an average of a 6% raise per year. (The nation average last Time I checked was just over 3% but I'm trying to make a point) After the employees first year with the company, they would be earning 1,200.98 per month. After 5 years, they would be earning 1516.21 per month. Assuming that the cost of living went up only 2% each year, below the national average I might add, after five years, the employee in question would now have an amazing $436.42 per month unaccounted for. This means that this person could now get basic cable, purchase better groceries. (I'm q single guy and I shop fairly conservatively and I still spend nearly 350 per month on groceries and things for the apartment.) If you include this basic changes to his life style, this employee, after 5 years of working hard would have less then 286.42 per month for things other then daily living. This does not include many of the normal things most Americans enjoy such as a cell phone, internet access, etc. \n\nOkay, that's WITH a minimum wage. Imagine if there was no minimum wage an companies started hiring people at 3.00 per hour. Assuming 50 hours again, that's only $165.00 per week or about 660 per month. That doesn’t cover food and shelter. If these people were to work 2 minimum wage jobs, 40 hours each, they would still only have 960.00 per month.  That still doesn’t cover the basic listed above in this area, and if you think that companies would not take advantage of people this way, you have a lot to learn about American businesses. \n\nMany American companies are not above keeping employees as close to minimums they can. In fact, there are many companies now that reward proficiency and hard work with termination. With the "At Will"\n laws in many states today, if an employee mentions the word, union, they are terminated on the spot, and it's legal. Add to that the fact that these same companies periodically fire members of there senior staff because these people 'make too much money' because they have been around too long and know too much and you have some major unfair business practices. But that is a different issue. My point is that these companies would exploit people to no end if it weren't for the minimum wage law.
141328
It seems that I heard a figure that was approximately 14,000 -15,000 per year.  At any rate, it hasn't been helped by our dear law makers and executive branch - the mininum wage hasn't seen an increase in 9 years!\n\nOh, by the way, free trade is Good for the U.S.A. workers!  Yeah, right!
410053
I noticed that too. Companies with products like Chips Ahoy, Oreos, Dairy Queen, the cookies are a lot smaller I have a cup that before you had to bite off both sides of cookie to fit in cup, now it drops in without biting and room to spare, Oreos Double Stuff are like how reg. Oreos were, companies using smaller containers, making Hershey bars thinner and smaller, they make stuff smaller, charge more, why can't they leave it same size and raise price. Houses $10,000 cost $80,000 in just 5 years, college 10 years ago was $32.00 a credit hr. now it's 75.00 a credit, most classes 4 credits that I was taking. Servers get $2.13 an hour plus tips so in 1995 their boss gave them 2.13 and they had to get 2.13 from customers an hour then to went to 5.15 so boss still only gives 2.13 and servers make 3.02 an hour, boss' side never goes up, server goes up. So when min. wage goes up to 20.00  boss gives 2.13 and you 18.00??  Also gas prices a few years ago cheapest 87 cents to 1.27 now 2.69  - 300   when min. wage increases the companies figure you make more so I'll increase my prices.  Also we are between welfare level and middle class, we make it with finagling and 15.00 left at end of month, but welfare people in apt. complex next door, deal drugs, don't work, but work on their car stereos, and have tons of food, it doesn't make sense.  Welfare to those who need it, not those that refuse to work.  Everything raises because the wealthy don't want to live like us, so they don't lower prices they get greedier. Also the government gave themselves 8 raises since min. wage was increased but we never got 8 raises.  They increased their annual salary of about 89,000 - 200,000   by another 32,000   how would you like a raise of 32,000.
334099
"November 16, 1981\nAROUND THE NATION; Ohio Raises Sales Taxes, Covers Labor Charges \nAP \nThe largest tax increase in Ohio history went into effect today, raising the sales tax and adding taxes to such things as automobile repairs and installation of cable television. \n\nThe $1.3 billion package is part of a $13.5 billion budget for the state government for two years. \n\nIt went into effect at 12:01 A.M., nearly five months after the last permanent budget expired. \n\nThe sales tax is increasing 1.1 percentage points; the old tax was 4 percent. Smokers will pay 2 to 5 cents more a pack. Soda drawn from a fountain at fast-food restaurants or at sports events will cost at least another penny, and possibly as much as 6.5 cents more. Now included under the sales tax are labor on repairs, including automobiles and home improvements, and car washes."
135152
This is a hard question to answer. As the minimum wage increases so also does the cost of living. Those people paying minimum wages often raise the cost of the product to compensate for the increase of the cost of manufaturing it. After all they are in business to make money. I think we should look at better ways to decrease the cost of living for those that need it such as no tax on food, keeping the cost of gas lower, better and cheaper medical. These would actually increase the persons potential to survive in a heathier state and not have to work 2 or three jobs to make ends meet.
867552
harsh way of raising the question.\n\nI think it is a given that Bush will veto a minimum wage increase, unless it is tied somehow to a bill that gives pork to his corporate friends. Politics as usual.
826124
Case in point MN raised minimum wage to 6.15 an hour (with soc, and medicare and other taxes that is 7.08 an hour.  I had 104 employees of which 68 were minimum wage wait staff.  Their take home pay was about $150 a night in tips plus the $30 in wages for a total of $46,800 a year on average.  The 20% increase in the minimum wage cost all 104 employees their jobs.\n\n(note: this was a upscale restaurant and bar.  Two weeks before they passed the mim wage the Democratic also passed a smoking ban for the city, my daily bar business drove or walked five blocks away across city lines to be able to drink and smoke.\nIn addition my clientele was not minimum wage earners so the wage increase did not effect them.)
811433
the taxes they get from the top 2% will just go to more pork projects.  The raise in the minimum wage will only raise all the price of the products sold and may even cause some small businesses to reduce their staffs.  So it's not going to help anyone except the democrat politicians who are eager to again pick your pockets.
1109536
It is total bullshit.\n\nLast year the federal minimum wage at $5.15 per hour was $3.50 below in purchasing power of what it was in 1968. Today's minimum wage has the lowest purchasing power since 1949 when economic productivity per worker was a fraction of what it is today, when the super-rich corporate bosses had not become hyper-rich averaging over $8000 an hour. \n\nThe last increase to $5.15 per hour was in 1997. Except for one year of restraint, members of Congress have zipped their annual pay grab through the House and Senate every year. Just the increases in that period amount to about three times the annual minimum wage income for millions of American laborers. No wonder poverty has been on the increase. \n\nRest assured, neither the Democratic nor the Republican leadership will stop their annual pay raise. The House already has passed their pay grab. Shame is a rare commodity when it comes to the moral authority to govern. \n\nWhy do we let them get away with such Marie Antoinette values?
820828
Because in the long run it will be a net loss to the working class.  Prices will go up way out of proportion to the increase to the ones that are putatively being helped.  Even the McDonald's in my area is already paying well above minimum just to get people to work there.  So why legislate something that is automatically being adjusted by the laws of supply and demand.\n\nThe real problem is the number of people trying to live outside their means.  Having more children than they can afford.  Deciding to buy a house that they can barely afford then not being able to make the payments when their adjustable rate mortgage rate goes up.  Most of the real problems with the American economy isn't on the government side, it's on the side of poor choices made by individuals.
478203
I disagree.  This is basically a communist idea.  The Universal Living Wage would cause america to lose a ton of jobs to lower wage countries.  We are already having problems competeing with counrtries that pay their workers 500 dollars a year.  This would drastically raise unemployment which is bad especially for poor people.  We would be looking at unemployment rates like those found in France and Germany of around 12 percent.  It would also stunt long term growth.  Everyone in America can eat well enough.  I have know obese people who were on welfare.  People in America are well off, poverty is more of a relative thing.  Poor people in America still have a lot more than people in the Sudan.  It is only when compared to insanely rich people in Manhattan that they seem so poor.  That is not to say that poverty is not a problem in America it is, but a Universal Living Wage would amplify this problem not fix it.
91407
The minimum wage in this country hasn't changed at all since 1997. During that time, we can assume that on average there was an increase in over-all costs of around 3% per year due to inflation. This is actually a healthy inflation rate if you look at growth historically. Alan Greenspan, the recently retired chairman of the federal reserve, was a bulldog when it came to fighting inflation. \n\nDuring this time, however, the congress has not voted to increase minimum wage. This has been voted down numerous times. The rational for this is that the Republican majority who are now in control believe that wages should be set by the market. Therefore, if market conditions warrant paying individuals more money then they will get it due to the invisible hand of market force. The claim is that minimum wage hikes will cost businesses too much money and they will be put out of business and it actually will depress the economy. Many cities and states, however, have a higher minimum wage than the federally mandated minimum and their economies do not seem to have been hindered in the way in which supply-side economist project. This is a never ending debate between classical and keynsian economist and unfortunately for those making minimum wage, the people in charge currently, are of the classical persuasion and are not fans of regulation. They think the market should be allowed to control all aspects of the economy.
1074805
YES i did know and it sucks for the people trying to survive off minimum wage. congress and give themselves raises due to inflation yet the everyday hard working citizen cannot. gas prices tripled since the last raise. Even groceries have gotten more expensive. And dont even forget about the cost of housing since the real estate boom. And whoever said thank god, whats your reason? its pathetic that the richest nation in the world suffers such poverty.