You can't ignore math
For a while now, Bernie Sanders has been arguing that the correct minimum wage should be $15 an hour. He's made it a pivotal aspect of his campaign too, but this recent turn of events is a good reminder of reality.
You see, it turns out that some of his staffers have been working more than 60 a week, and they were not too happy about that. Why? Well, because basically they had a salary and the extra hours simply cut their pay for about $13 per hour, a number that to be consistent with Bernie's message, is not a living wage, right?
At any rate, the campaign staff elevated their demands, and as you might imagine this shines a light into the bigger picture, the problem with hiking minimum wage just because "it's the right thing to do".
I find it somewhat ironic that the defense for the salaries was the standard one: "we pay a competitive wage" - One that I'm sure was unacceptable at all the rallies senator Sanders has been part of, as he's refered to employers "greed".
A solution has been put forth by the way, the hours will be cut. And there my friends, is precisely the Crux of the problem. That is what would happen to all small business, and that would not solve the disparity and inequality the campaign aims to fix.
As I've said before, I can appreciate good intentions. But, you can't argue against math.
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Oh, I don't know. It seems to be a common practice of late. After all, we're living in a post fact world, eh? Have you seen enemedia stories in the last year or two claiming that math, facts, and science are racist? I have. I note a divide between folks that grasp that reality actually exists, and folks that think what they want makes stuff real.
It's clear which side of that divide you are on, and reckon the next catastrophe exerting evolutionary force on humanity will reward your sagacity.
Thanks!
Raising minimum wage = raising the cost of living. How people don't get that after Walmart systematically destroyed most small grocery stores by "raising the minimum wage" and the results that have come from that are kind of mind-blowing. But ya know... fucking entitlement and playing on people's scarcity mindset is quite effective eh?
Somehow I think some folks ignore that when the minimum wage rises it won't be just them that gets more money, but all their employer's employees, and not only their measly salary but the entire labor cost of doing business that will rise.
This is why I work for myself, and have no employees.
Politicians being politicians... What's new? They are only saying what they think will get them elected!
There is no magic bullet. Higher wages will translate to higher costs passed on to consumers. Businesses exists to make money, and if they can't make money, they will raise costs and/or cut expenses (hours and/or employees). As a result, you will go to the store and that gallon of milk with either cost more, or you will check it/bag it yourself. :)
Precisely, and the math is quite simple. It's easy to make these promises on the campaign trail and be "the populist". But they are counterproductive to the goal of helping inequality.
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Posted using Partiko Android
It's amazing to me that folks can see this tweet and not grasp the fact that this response to minimum wage will be replicated across industry. The question of how to make up for the reduced productivity of the staff remains unanswered. Will Bernie add staff to replace the work that will no longer be done by staffers working overtime, or will he just get less done? What will other employers competing for market share do? The proof will be in the pudding, and I suspect that crow will be one of the most notable ingredients in the dish.
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