And it isn't hard to figure out what determines who qualifies as "those".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251818595

The same math produces the same product and the same view on what people that actually work hard, sweat, and slowly destroy their bodies via that actual hard work should earn somehow they believe "those" people should not earn a living wage but deserve poverty due to a belief that workers are inferior to them.

These Conservatives that mostly build nothing but hemorrhoids sitting on their asses while producing absolutely nothing but paper manipulations or that talk for a living or "speculate on investments" rarely sweat or even know the meaning of hard work yet for some reason believe it is they "working much harder" and deserve far more money because they are better than "those" that actually work the hardest and that actually produce or service everything.

They don't even understand hard work but inhaling their own flatulence has them so high that they think the workers should not earn enough to live while they live lives of comfort (a comfort only interrupted by the Hemorrhoids and the flatulence that they are addicted to).

Conservatives no mater what label they use for themselves are elitist assholes that all say the same things.

Some people seem to be trying to get emergency personnel/first responders incensed about the idea of a burger flipper getting paid the same as (or more than) they are. To which I ask, why can't we pay everybody well?

If 15 is the new floor, somebody making 16.00 an hour now is going to want a raise. So maybe they can get a raise to 17-18 or so, and the business can raise the prices.

I would expect a bit higher inflation for short while. Probably a great time to get into real estate. As buying power increases I would expect real estate go up rapidly. Good for me, since my mortgage is fixed, and my rentals are worth more.

I make a few bucks more than 15.00 now. If I didn't get a pay raise, I would just work for 15.00 and not deal with the hassles, so I would expect a raise too. I'm in a good position in that I have lots of fixed cost, so I think it would work out for me. I would expect somebody renting would see their rent quickly increase and all other cost go up, and the benefit would not be as great as it seems on the surface.

Minimum wage should be set based on a base wage with a locality pay adjustment. For example, someone living in San Francisco, CA would make more than someone living in rural Kentucky. Minimum step wage credits could be given to employees based on a fair and equitable system of seniority and performance. For example, someone living in NYC without work experience could get 80% of the minimum wage + 100% of the locality wage rate. Two years gets 90% of the minimum wage + 100% of locality. At three years, the employee is wage vested within that particular industry and receives 100% wage and 100% locality. Each year thereafter the minimum lawful increase from the employer would be 2% of minimum wage. Each year, regardless of vesting, both the minimum wage and locality rate are subject to adjustment due to inflation.

Tax incentives to hire American employees could be provided, and tax penalties could be levied against companies that outsource to foreign countries. The magic is keeping the tax incentives higher than the penalties to keep companies from moving offshore entirely.

I could also see a national retirement system that includes social security and a separate 401k administered by the government with low cost investment options that include government bonds and low fee index mutual funds. We could also have a turn key pension option that makes it easier for employers to offer a small pension to employees.

The idea is that people should be able to live, work, and retire with dignity.

15 would only work in the cheapest of areas to live if one is to receive a living wage for working a full time usually physically demanding and damaging job.

But 15 is at least a start, 12 is an insult and below a living wage in this economy everywhere.

We need to decouple "being able to live with decency and dignity" from "having a job". But until we do, a higher minimum wage is our best policy tool, as blunt a tool as it is.

Or amy higher number.