February 26, 2021

"We are deeply disappointed in this decision. We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers..."

"... and their families. The American people deserve it, and we are committed to making it a reality." 

Said Chuck Schumer, quoted in "Biden’s minimum wage increase runs afoul of budget rules/The Senate parliamentarian has issued a ruling that could jeopardize the rest of the president’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief package" (Politico).

Speaking of reality, do you think he's really disappointed? I imagine he's relieved. He and his party have the benefit of looking as though they tried and the benefit of not having the potentially deleterious policy actually imposed on us.

197 comments:

Levi Starks said...

Now, cue the ugly Facebook memes of Democratic Congress people living lavish lifestyles.

Achilles said...

This is a stupid rule.

It stopped a stupid law.

I think Schumer knows it would hurt everyone and especially the poor and working class.

Schumer doesn’t believe a single thing he says.

He is just fortunate to have idiot supporters who want to be lied to.

stevew said...

They keep pushing these destructive economic policies and initiatives as if Trump is still president and they need to damage him politically. Must be that they are just economic illiterates.

tim maguire said...

I'm going with your theory, professor. Schumer's a smart guy. He knows $15/hr will hurt the poor and he probably also knows that minimum wage is not a federal issue. This is a win/win--he gets credit for trying, without paying the price for succeeding.

tcrosse said...

None of this stops the states of NY and CA from raising their minimum wages however high they want.

BUMBLE BEE said...

It will help no one. These chuckleheads can't help but lie, lie, lie. I am rather happy that democrat voters are the ones to bring the socialism. They hate children.

tim maguire said...

Achilles said...He is just fortunate to have idiot supporters who want to be lied to.

He knows who his voters are and he knows how to keep himself in the Senate.

Harsh Pencil said...

I'm not sure of the moral rational for not implementing however high a minimum wage the poor want. Yes, it is a stupid policy that will hurt them. So why not let them have what they want, good and hard? Why should right of center types lose political capital on this?

Assistant Village Idiot said...

Win-win for Biden and top Democrats, yes. It's a mostly-terrible idea that harms three people for every one it helps and so will make the economy worse going into the 2022 elections. But they get the appearance of being advocates for the poor to their supporters who can't do arithmetic.

I am nonetheless glad it didn't become law, even with the political hit.

Mark said...

Speaking of reality, do you think he's really disappointed?

Yes, because he believes that the rules are for suckers, that the rules don't apply to him or whatever he and the Dems want to do. The answer betrays the mindset that thinks that procedural rules (and also substantive law like the Constitution) should be bent to achieve whatever policy end he wants.

To Schumer, "regular order" is the power of the left to impose its will, period.

wendybar said...

Why not $50 an hour?? Why not $1000?? They really are pushing the Cloward and Piven strategy a little harder lately. Gotta get that Socialism, while the going is good!!!

mockturtle said...

Yes, you read him right, Professor. Most politicians only want to appear to support these kinds of measures. They don't really give a crap about workers or anyone else. They just want to be re-elected next term.

Humperdink said...

Democrats are gifted, gifted liars that is. Trotting out some prevarications about the minimum wage every year. The best part? There are thousands of human beings amassing at the southern border willing to work under the table for peanuts. At the invitation of the Dems of course.

Mike Sylwester said...

The Democrats can introduce a stand-alone bill to raise the minimum wage to $15.

They can do it later today, if they really want to do so.

Josephbleau said...

"None of this stops the states of NY and CA from raising their minimum wages however high they want."

That is not the point, they want to raise the min wage in small Midwestern towns with low costs of living to kill jobs, to punish them for being red.

Mr Wibble said...

I think he wanted the minimum wage raise, but it wasn't the most important thing. If it doesn't pass, he can just dangle it for the base later.

iowan2 said...

The Parliamentarian gave his opinion.
The Senate can vote by simple majority to override the Parliamentarian.

Not a single reporter will ask a single Democrat why they don't just vote to allow the minimum wage to be a portion of the legislation.

gilbar said...

Biden's approval ratings are (nearly!) 50%
the democrats have HALF of the US Senate
the democrats 8 MORE seats in the US house than they need to control it

can't We as AMERICANS agree; IF the democrat party has a 50% stranglehold on political power...
That represents A MANDATE???

Slightly more than 51% of votes counted, were counted as being cast for Jo Biden
Recorded voter turnout was OVER 62% That's the highest (supposed) turnout in OVER 100 years!
Sure,
that means that MORE than Two Thirds of voters did NOT have their votes recorded for Biden
(51% of 62% <= 31%)

But STILL!
if HALF of Congress is democrat, and about a Third of voters had their votes recorded democrat...
THAT is a F*cking Mandate!! Democrats Should be able to RAM Through WHATEVER they want

I'm Not Sure said...

" Yes, it is a stupid policy that will hurt them. So why not let them have what they want, good and hard?"

Do you think that people who vote for Democrats will learn anything from that except that when it doesn't work, it's because they didn't raise the rate high enough?



Danno said...

As the states are the laboratory of ideas, I firmly believe New York, New Jersey, California and a few other blue states should raise their minimum wage to $50 immediately. Don't punish the rest of us for this most stupid of ideas.

Mark said...

The problem with a stand-alone bill on anything is that it would need to get over the 60-vote cloture rule. And the Dems want to be able to ram through their agenda without having to get such consensus.

YES, Schumer is genuinely annoyed. In fact, if they could, they would attach a lot of other bills to this one in order to ram them through.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

the 1.9 trillion Nancy-bill is mainly to give our hard earned money to Democrat party pet projects and democrat party personal gain pocket stuffing...

Nonapod said...

He and his party have the benefit of looking as though they tried and the benefit of not having the potentially deleterious policy actually imposed on us.

I honestly don't believe that Chuck Schumer gives a fig about what happens to the vast majority of the American people. I imagine that he think most of us are idiots and rubes. That said, a brand new $15 minimum wage in the midst of the economic crisis of the pandemic would almost certainly result depressing employment, crushing small businesses, and possibly even inflation. All of that would realistically be difficult to blame on anyone else other than those in power come the 2022 election cycle. So yeah, he's probably relieved.

Mark said...

The Senate can vote by simple majority to override the Parliamentarian.

The Dems don't have the votes to do that. They don't have a majority, they don't even have a 50-50 split. Manchin and Sinema are "no" votes.

Joe Smith said...

Why don't lefty business owners start paying $15 or $20 per hour right now?

For even the most menial dishwasher-type job.

Put a big sign up on the windows of your business to advertise the fact.

Once prices are adjusted for whatever service they offer (food, car wash, etc.) then consumers can decide.

So keep in mind...nobody is stopping companies from paying any wage over the current federal minimum.

In the real world, the minimum wage is $0.

Lucid-Ideas said...

Democrats are a bunch of rich people convincing poor people to vote for rich people by telling poor people that other rich people are the reason they’re poor.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

supply and demand.
Locally, there are signs at some of the fast food joints that offer 15$+/ hour. They are desperate for help.

I guess all the rich white kids would rather game all day than work in yucky fast food jobs.

Matt Sablan said...

The question is: Is Schumer a true believer? I think he isn't, but there are many who are who will be upset about this.

Lucid-Ideas said...

Hey...here's an idea (since it's all funny-money anyway)...let's make the minimum wage $150/hr.

Come one. Go for broke. Naturally what this will lead to is a huge inflationary spike (per commentary at Marginal Revolution) as a 'rising tide will lift all wages'. Win win. Everyone wins.

Come on...$150/hr. I've got a lot of gold and silver that's itching to appreciate logarithmically.

Fernandinande said...

The lemmings are coming home to roost.

Lucid-Ideas said...

A lucid idea just popped into my head. Raise the minimum wage, BUT PAY THEM IN BITCOIN.

I. am. a genius.

Howard said...

And so it goes...

Blogger Lucid-Ideas said...
Retrumpicans are a bunch of rich people convincing racist people to vote for rich people by telling racist people that other rich people are the reason they feel racist.

Iman said...

I saw him today and his deception
Reading glasses perched down his nose
His bullshit garnered hack reception
But the peeps knew teh Senator had no clothes
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always see what you want
You can't always see what you want
But if you look real close you’ll find
A disease that breeds

Howard said...

If they can't do minimum wage, UBI will be impossible. More important, Biden pledged to the Davos billionaires that there will be no wealth tax on his watch.

Our political leaders are expert playing both ends against the middle.

Calypso Facto said...

The CBO said this minimum wage measure would put 1.4 million Americans out of work. 80-90% (depending on the year of survey) of economists agree that the minimum wage is a job killer, ceteris paribus.

Wasn't it just yesterday you had a thread about the Democrats self-serving selective use of "follow the science"?

Michael said...

.
The Senator from Wall Street.

Howard said...

Follow the dismal science?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

speech crime democratic tech billionaires - still under taxed.

the sweet spot for tax-rape is deplorable.

Nonapod said...

Come on...$150/hr. I've got a lot of gold and silver that's itching to appreciate logarithmically.

As I've said many times before, if $15 an hour is good, isn't a million dollars and hour better? Then everyone can be rich.

I'm consistantly amazed at how dense people appear to be when it comes to economics. There are some very basic concepts (like the way currency works) that an 8 year old child can grasp that seem to be lost on a huge portion of adults. It's like people want to believe in magic.

Lucid-Ideas said...

@Howard

I resent that comment. Republicans don't need to tell anyone anything about race in America. Democrats are extremely good at doing that already. Matter of fact, it's something unavoidable...despite one's best efforts at trying.

It's ok Howard - nice word reversal - you're getting better at this game.

I'm Not Sure said...

In One Cartoon Strip, Everything You Need to Know about the Minimum Wage

Owen said...

Chuck Schumer sincerely wants $15/hr minimum wage because he loves robots. Nothing will spur automation faster than a new high floor on labor costs; and the very fact of such a move will convince businesses that $15/hr is just the first step, so they had better hurry up and build better robots. Result will be a giant leap toward “Idiocracy.”

Tommy Duncan said...

This was simply legislative virtue signaling. This was executed in a way that would fail intentionally.

iowan2 said...

The Dems don't have the votes to do that. They don't have a majority, they don't even have a 50-50 split. Manchin and Sinema are "no" votes.

We all know what is going on. It would be nice if Schumer was forced to admit what is going on. I keep hearing leftist telling us 70% of voter are in favor of raising the minimum wage.
Then it should be a slam dunk because of this popularity.
But reporter are in on the lie. That was my point. The big lie, reporters work hard to disseminate.

Leland said...

I think one of the mistakes of Obamacare was, once implemented, the issue was no longer a concern for voters. The equivalent is the Wall for Republicans, for if it was built, we would no longer need to vote for politicians that want to build it. So yeah, I think the results on minimum wage are exactly what Schumer wanted, which is probably why their was a parliamentary procedure mistake.

Chuck Schumer sincerely wants $15/hr minimum wage because he loves robots.

Yeah, and he wants interns too.

Jalanl said...

How about social justice minimum wages? Accomplish 2 things at once!

White guy = $10 /hour
Woman = $15/hour
POC = $25/hour
Trans POC = $50/hour

Skeptical Voter said...

Ol Chuck You is disappointed only when it looks like he'll lose power.

MayBee said...

Campaigns should have to pay their "volunteers" the minimum wage they support.

Curious George said...

A $15 minimum wage will let a lot of those workers find out what the real minimum wage is. Zero.

Curious George said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TestTube said...

Is there a good survey of the jobs that pay less than $15/hr?

As an example, restaurant and fast food jobs: That indicates that dining experiences will become more self serve -- having friends over for a BBQ or potluck instead of heading to a restaurant. Our parents and grandparents dined out less frequently than we do -- or did before COVID.

That indicates more demand for communal dining spaces -- public and private. Advantage to the home that can host parties.

Food processing also relies on low wage workers. A trend to less processed, simpler foods? Or offshore that processing to lower-wage countries, with less assurance of food safety and quality? Or an increase in the illegal labor sector?

Agriculture too -- more reliance on automation, less on labor-intensive crops.

More government involvement, to enforce those new wages.

A seismic shift in lifestyle, full of unintended consequences. Who can predict?

And that is just one sector of life. What about healthcare? What about the Elderly, who rely on inexpensive labor for simple tasks? What about construction, entertainment, infrastructure, education?

tim in vermont said...

Of course Trump managed to drive up wages at the bottom by cutting off the supply of illicit labor that the GOPe wanted and illicit voters that the Democrats wanted, but just because Donald John Trump managed that, it can’t be recognized.

Democrats, like the Soviets, think that they can repeal the law of supply and demand. It never works. That’s why all of the former communist countries have gone fascist, which somehow they managed at the drop of a hat.

TreeJoe said...

I read these articles yesterday and just thought....

So you are telling me the most experienced, long-term members of the senate/congress have designed a critical bill with a controversial piece of wage legislature and oh, oops, it just happens to run afoul of rules that prohibit it from being included. So we'll go out to the press and say oh no, that's terrible, but we have to press forward and we are dissapointed.

The fact that none of them worked to:
A. change the rules
B. modify the legislature to match the rules
C. Introduced it as a separate interest immediately

Shows how ridiculously theatrical the whole thing is....

tim in vermont said...

Democrats don’t worry too much about the $15 dollar minimum wage because they are always inviting more scabs over the border who will happily work without labor protections.

Todd said...

"We are deeply disappointed in this decision. We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers..."
"... and their families. The American people deserve it, and we are committed to making it a reality."


Only an f*ing moron would make a statement like that and MEAN it.

You want to END jobs? Install and/or raise a minimum wage. Require a business to pay an employee what YOU think that position is worth, not what the market says it is worth and that position will soon no longer be done by a human. The business will a) end that position and move that work to another employee, b) replace that person with automation, or c) shut down the business.

The business may studded on for a bit by raising prices to cover the artificially inflated costs but that will only work for so long. The market usually wins. Reality ALWAYS wins.

Big Mike said...

potentially deleterious policy

Only potentially, Professor? It’s been tried. Where has it not been a disaster?

Owen said...

Jalani @ 10:01: excellent suggestion to create an SJW wage scale. But it would encourage a lot of white guys to self-identify as trans POC. And working remotely with the Zoom video disabled, who will be the wiser?

Bilwick said...

"Laws of Economics? We don't need no stinkin' Laws of Economics!"--any "liberal" speaking honestly.

Gahrie said...

A $15 minimum wage will let a lot of those workers find out what the real minimum wage is. Zero.

That's the goal. The ultimate goal of the Left is to produce a large population of completely unproductive people that can/must be placated/bought off with Bread and Circuses. If you examine the Left's ideas and actions through this lens they all make sense. Education, immigration, employment... it all makes sense when you realize their goal.

The big fight that needs to be won the next four years is the beginning of UBI.

tim in vermont said...

"Retrumpicans are a bunch of rich people convincing racist people to vote for rich people by telling racist people that other rich people are the reason they feel racist.”

And yet a coalition of entrenched billionaires and their allies in the government managed to “fortify” the election for Biden by uniting against Trump.

Howard never misses a chance to lick the knobs of the billionaires sitting atop the tech industry, so it’s quite a twist that he then pretends that they are not the ones who are really in power in the US.

They wanted a politician who was nakedly for sale as POTUS, since they have money aplenty to buy politicians. Now they have him, surprise, surprise.

Gahrie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gahrie said...

The vast majority of people in Washington D.C. pushing for a $15 minimum wage have never earned a minimum wage, or run a business that paid anyone a minimum wage.

Todd said...

I'm Not Sure said...

In One Cartoon Strip, Everything You Need to Know about the Minimum Wage

2/26/21, 9:55 AM


That is friggen awesome. I am stealing/saving that!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Jalanl - exactly.

did you have your testicles dissolved with brutal chemicals as a child by the fascist totalitarians who run the Biden administration?

You get 50$ an hour! see, it all works out in the end.

Joe Smith said...

"Speaking of reality, do you think he's really disappointed? I imagine he's relieved. He and his party have the benefit of looking as though they tried and the benefit of not having the potentially deleterious policy actually imposed on us."

Dems love that this won't pass.

They can't be blamed for the ensuing unemployment, and they get to use the issue as a hammer in the future.

Rush used to talk about this all the time. Liberals pat each other on the back and get votes because they have 'good intentions.'

They never actually get much done that is useful, but they mean well.

Lance said...

I'm going with your theory, professor. Schumer's a smart guy.

Intelligence does not necessarily prevent self-deception. In fact it may make it easier.

Sushant Sharma said...

Have a look on my blog "Some Unturned Stones". https://www.someunturnedstones.com

Owen said...

YouTube @ 10:09: “... What about the Elderly, who rely on inexpensive labor for simple tasks?...” Excellent questions/observations. An inflated minimum wage would be, well, inflationary. And rob savers of their purchasing power. The elderly would transfer whatever wealth they had to the younger labor force. Menial but essential tasks like helping Grandma get dressed or bringing Grandpa his lunch on a tray would now be $100 a pop. Nursing homes would charge even more terrifying prices than they already do.

Thanks, Chuck & Co.! Of course, as others have said, this was just theater. If they ever pushed it through, they would lose a guaranteed vote-getter of an issue. Like nationalizing the pharmaceutical industry or grabbing all 500 million guns now in the hands of the public: an issue that is much more lucrative and exciting when kept in this state of potentiality.

First Rule of Theater: leave them wanting more.

Charlie Currie said...

Democrats love sticks to beat republicans and everyone else who disagree with their policies. Fight for $15 is a tire iron. Race has been their sledgehammer since the sixties and no matter how many victories they amass, they will never be enough. Give them same sex marriage and they want men in the restroom with little girls and men competing in women's and girl's sports.

Amnesty illegals, and they want citizenship and voting rights.

Nothing you give them is ever enough. Destruction of the US is the ultimate goal. Why? Because destruction is all they know and crave. They are clinically insane.

narciso said...

it's not a gift its an imposition on small businesses, probably when they get those four more senators from puerto rico and the district, when they make 30 million illegals citizens,

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"deeply" disappointed.

uh huh.

Lucid-Ideas said...

When I look into my Chrystal ball
BURGERFLIPPER-5000
Does it all
What more to need?
Employees freed
And it doesn't have a problem with alcohol

bleh said...

A federal minimum wage is dumb. If New York or California, or cities within those states, want to raise the minimum wage, they're free to do so. I've heard some argue that could violate the dormant commerce clause, but states and cities have had been passing their own minimum wages for decades.

Whatever. It's clear that Democrats don't care about small business or jobs except in high-priced Democratic strongholds. And even then they don't really care. If the end result of their policies is fewer jobs with more automation and more people dependent on the government for handouts, then they're happy.

mockturtle said...

If raising the minimum wage became necessary or even desirable, it should be done by individual states, based on cost of living. Obviously, there is a huge disparity.

Rae said...

How much time do both parties spend actively working against their bases?

tcrosse said...

Another way to help all those millions of struggling workers is to open the fucking bars and restaurants. No Act of Congress required.

effinayright said...

tcrosse said...
None of this stops the states of NY and CA from raising their minimum wages however high they want.
****************

Nothing, except their governments' small-business constituents who would raise bloody murder.

Nothing, except their local governments registering fears that their tax bases would dwindle, as their small-businesses would go bankrupt and more of their citizens would wind up collecting unemployment and welfare.

Nothing at all....

I'm Not Sure said...

"How much time do both parties spend actively working against their bases?"

I don't think it's so much that as they're constantly working on feathering their own beds and as long as they're getting theirs, everything else is just noise to them.

hombre said...

Political theater for the economics illiterate Democrat base. Schumer is an amoral jackass, but he is not a stupid amoral jackass - although his party has more than its share of them. Democrats still have others ways to destroy the economy. Fear not, Chuck. All is not lost.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Blame the parliamentarian. I don’t remember hearing that one before.

gilbar said...

In One Cartoon Strip, Everything You Need to Know about the Minimum Wage

So; we NEED a Massive New Government Program, researching construction of Magic Boats?

narciso said...

like the brandon starr song,


https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/26/gretchen-whitmer-loads-council-on-climate-solutions-with-donors-utility-lobbyist-dark-money-group-exec/

Joe Smith said...

"If raising the minimum wage became necessary or even desirable, it should be done by individual states, based on cost of living. Obviously, there is a huge disparity."

A big reason why these universal diktats are so destructive and ill-informed.

An $80,000 salary in Hattiesburg, MS goes a hell of a lot farther than it does in Palo Alto, CA.

My son took a transfer once to Atlanta from Silicon Valley, with the proviso that he would be paid SV money. He lived like a king for a couple of years.

Browndog said...

Maybe I was the only one that read the article in The Hill or Poltico a couple weeks after Biden was installed that his handlers were having second thoughts on the 15/hr, and were putting it on the back burner.

Lib tears were flowing hard.

Now, Congress wants to use this as an excuse to abolish the filibuster. Whether they think you're so stupid you think this has anything to do with the filibuster, or they are, is up to you-

Ilhan Omar
@IlhanMN

Abolish the filibuster.

Replace the parliamentarian.

What’s a Democratic majority if we can’t pass our priority bills? This is unacceptable.
8:36 PM · Feb 25, 2021


Chris Murphy
@ChrisMurphyCT
The filibuster is killing democracy.
9:45 PM · Feb 25, 2021

Scott Gustafson said...

“Is there a good survey of the jobs that pay less than $15/hr?”

Yes there is. The latest data from the BLS (Occupational Employment Statistics) was for May, 2019. If you want it all, there is an excel file with occupations, pay ranges (percentiles), and number of employees. It also breaks things out by geography. It’s about 70MB.

If I recall correctly, when I did an analysis a couple of years back, over 40% of employees would have been directly affected by a $15 minimum wage.

narciso said...

he's well credentialled though,

stlcdr said...

The Democrats are effectively in charge and control everything. Why can they not simply put a bill raising the minimum wage to whatever the Democrats think is palatable? Why is this never asked of these grifters by the media?

stlcdr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joe Smith said...

"Why can they not simply put a bill raising the minimum wage to whatever the Democrats think is palatable?"

These days, bills are never single-item propositions.

Everything gets buried in thousands of pages of garbage.

You have to vote for it before you can know what's in it.

stlcdr said...

Scott Gustafson said...
...

If I recall correctly, when I did an analysis a couple of years back, over 40% of employees would have been directly affected by a $15 minimum wage.

2/26/21, 11:30 AM


Those are weasel-words if ever I saw them.

daskol said...

There is probably a way to do a minimum wage raise that does not fuck the poor, the youth and the disabled. This law is not that way, and the federal government is probably not the instrument for it. However, it would be a good idea to figure out something that could be initiated at federal level on a min wage, because it's very attractive politics both to a broad coaltion of the left/center left and increasingly the populist right. The pandering power is enormous, and there is a lot of (often tendentious) economics coming out that tries to undermine the fairly obvious and highly persuasive argument that if you raise the cost of something, people will find a way to use less of it. That may be common sense, but it doesn't look like good politics in our current moment.

Browndog said...

Just so you know-

The only reason the parliamentarian is involved is because Pelosi/Schumer are passing all their bills using reconciliation. Reconciliation is a process restricted to budgetary matters, and only requires a simple majority to pass.

They are doing this to bypass the republicans and the filibuster.

The parliamentarian ruled correctly the 15/min was outside the scope of the budget process.

Michael K said...

The only reason the parliamentarian is involved is because Pelosi/Schumer are passing all their bills using reconciliation. Reconciliation is a process restricted to budgetary matters, and only requires a simple majority to pass.

This is the way Obamacare passed. Remember how Scott Brown shot their plans down by getting elected ? They refused to swear him in until the bill passed. Then Roberts amended it for them later.

Arashi said...

Every time the minimum wage goes up, so does the basic cost of doing business, which results in every good or service going up in cost, usually with the cost passed on to the consumer, which generally negates the supposed benefit of the increase. So of course the very people who are supposedly the target of this get screwed. Either they spend more for everything they buy, or the small business lay off people so they can manage the increae for those left, or they just go out of business.

The fallacy in all of this is that there should be some minimum living wage paid for all jobs, and that you should be able to support a family on any job - even burger flipper at the fast food joint. But since all of this is really political theater, any actual benefit is secondary, and the actual harm done is ignored and swept under the carpet.

But if it gets the 'correct' people elected, then it is all good. Even if it means the ultimate destruction of the US, as long as the 'correct' people get to stand on top of the pile of garbage that is left and declare 'we won'.

daskol said...

The main political purpose of proposing a minimum wage is to politically damage the GOP when most of its most prominent people come out against it. Mission accomplished, without having to actually pass the damned thing. I bet they were planning on the parliamentarian killing it.

hstad said...

Look, Schumer is a liar! BLS estimates that only 525,000 workers earn at the $7.25 rate. This is not about helping "millions of workers" it's about the exercise of raw power. Hey, Schumer since no one can support a family on $15 per hour how about $25, $35 hell why stop their $100 per hour can support a family. Politicians ignorance of economics is on full display. Once $15 per hour passes within a decade most of these jobs will have been automated. Moreover, the cost of living will have also increased pretty much wiping out the gain of the wage increase. This is politics and does not help the people who are the supposed beneficiaries. But Politicians' 'Trade' is propoganda and lies. As long as we have voters (suckers) in our country who buy off on these lies we'll have stupid proposals.

Howard said...

Blogger Lucid-Ideas said...

When I look into my Chrystal ball
BURGERFLIPPER-5000
Does it all
What more to need?
Employees freed
And it doesn't have a problem with alcohol


You want flies with that?

hstad said...


Blogger Scott Gustafson said...
"...40% of employees would have been directly affected by a $15 minimum wage..." 2/26/21, 11:30 AM

Sorry "Scott Gustafson the BLS estimates there are only 525,000 on minimum wage. Now if you mean that the "Minimum Wage will increase the wages of people higher then minimum wage, I agree. That's why the Unions love it! But the pressure to increase other wages will just cancel the 'Minimum Wage" hike leaving the workers no better off. Pure garbage politics!

Arashi said...

So when all fast food joints are staffed by robots (except for the manager), and all minumum wage jobs that can be done by robots are done by robots (janatorial and such) what are the democrats going to promise the actual millions of people who no longer have jobs or any prospect of a job? A basic living wage per person? But since the government won't have any money nor anyomne to tax more to get any money what then?

Why not get America back to work, end the lockdowns, stop importing millions of unskilled workers and millions of STEM workers to replace Americans and actually do something good for the US and the US citizens? Act like you really care about your country and its future Chuck and Nancy, and not the ccp and China.

Personally, I look forward to going to a McD's and get my order handled by burger robots.

narciso said...


this might apply to the other thread,
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2021/02/25/the-thing-and-the-whole-of-the-thing/

mikee said...

Adjusted for inflation since the last increase, the minwage should be about $17.50, so the current kerfuffle has been kabuki from the start. Not only did Schumer, Biden, et al., know from the get-go that the increase would not be legislated, they chose a number for their little dance that was below their stated goal of catching up with inflation.

Breezy said...

As mentioned above, how do they square the min wage push with illegal immigration push? They are pushing for 15, but encouraging all sorts of avenues to not abide by it. This inconsistency seems to imply they want to keep the issue alive.

Can’t forget that $15 min would push all other salaries up, so the impact is likely an existential threat to more than just small businesses.

Oh, and Chuck Schumer has had the worst impact on our political discourse in my lifetime.

MartyH said...

Three years of Trump: bottom 20% have real income gains of over 10%.
Eight years of Obama: bottom 20% have real income losses of 0.6%

In fact, the bottom 80% did better under Trump than Obama.

Why the difference? Trump cut corporate taxes to bring jobs home; stopped illegal immigrants from taking low end, low skill jobs.
Raising the minimum wage does not help the poor; common sense economic policy does.

Todd said...

hstad said...

Look, Schumer is a liar! BLS estimates that only 525,000 workers earn at the $7.25 rate. This is not about helping "millions of workers" it's about the exercise of raw power.

2/26/21, 12:07 PM


It is also [bigly] about helping the unions as MANY union contract pay rates are pegged to the minimum wage. When that goes up BAM tons of union workers get automatic raises without the unions having to do anything.

Scott Gustafson said...

stlcdr said...
Those are weasel-words if ever I saw them.
2/26/21, 11:37 AM
Huh?
When I did the analysis the data showed the about 40% of employees in the US made less than $15 per hour. Hence if you mandate a $15 minimum wage about 40% of employees are directly affected. Is this unclear or misleading?

lgv said...

He is not disappointed because he doesn't believe it to be a "potentially deleterious policy".

I'm sure there are some who are fake disappointed like Manchin, Tester and a couple of others, but the push is on to every crazy progressive policy one can think of.

Scott Gustafson said...

mikee said...
Adjusted for inflation since the last increase, the minwage should be about $17.50,
2/26/21, 12:19 PM

The minimum wage was set at $7.25 in July, 2009. According to the inflation calculator at the BLS. That would be worth $8.81 in January, 2021.

Fernandinande said...

The 800-pound gorilla in the room wants a level playing field.

daskol said...

That right there, Scott, is why you shouldn't trust govt statistics re inflation. They just adjust the basket of goods, and do things like exclude food, to show lower inflation than there actually is.

JAORE said...


A person making $12 per hour while the new kid makes $8 will NOT be happy if they both now get $15.

A person making $18 per hour will not be happy if the new kid and the $12 person gets $15.

Push all of them up and now the person making $25 isn't happy that the $12 guy is making $22.

Pretty soon the $30 per hour guy, who, in certain parts of the country was pretty happy with his income will say, "Hey. Why am I ONLY getting $30?"

Then Granny already struggling on a fixed income from SS and a minimal pension says, why am I staving to death?
********************
Re Schummer - No Tax Breaks for the Rich!
Also Schummer - Repeal the SALT limits on mortgages (you know the ones that hurt the "rich" in high tax areas like HIS.





Heywood Rice said...

Let them eat food stamps.

JAORE said...

"Adjusted for inflation since the last increase, the minwage should be about $17.50"

Sure, in Venezuela...

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Howard said...

The 800-lb Gorilla is gorked out in a post diabetic coma. Super Size me

n.n said...

Given progressive costs, a progressive wage and rationing would be sensible. However, if the issue is progressive prices, or other factors (e.g. wage and environmental arbitrage, immigration reform), then progressive wages sustain, progress, and redistribute the distortion.

Temujin said...

I'm sorry. I'm still stuck on Dr. Rachel Levine's inane responses to Senator Dr. Rand Paul's questions. Has there been other news?

What a cabinet of cretins Biden's keepers have put together.

Todd said...

Temujin said...

I'm sorry. I'm still stuck on Dr. Rachel Levine's inane responses to Senator Dr. Rand Paul's questions. Has there been other news?

What a cabinet of cretins Biden's keepers have put together.

2/26/21, 1:55 PM


You do understand that was not a mistake. Those people are their because more powerful people want them there. These "more powerful people" are in no way #BadTouchBiden, #KneepadsHarris, or #NotaRealDoctorJill...

rehajm said...

Mike Sylwester said...
The Democrats can introduce a stand-alone bill to raise the minimum wage to $15.

They can do it later today, if they really want to do so.


Yes. A simple majority to override the parliamentarian. They don't want to because someone on their side actually took Economics, and not Economics of Inequality like AOC took at BU.

Actually it's a good sign. Maybe they only get around to spending two trillion on corruption then wallow in the swamp weeds until midterms save them from themselves...

Daddy Binx said...

Arashi said...
...
Personally, I look forward to going to a McD's and get my order handled by burger robots.


SkyNet smiles.

Achilles said...

Howard said...

Blogger Lucid-Ideas said...

When I look into my Chrystal ball
BURGERFLIPPER-5000
Does it all
What more to need?
Employees freed
And it doesn't have a problem with alcohol

You want flies with that?

Probably better for me than saliva, hair, and mucous.

Scott Gustafson said...

daskol said...
That right there, Scott, is why you shouldn't trust govt statistics re inflation. They just adjust the basket of goods, and do things like exclude food, to show lower inflation than there actually is.

2/26/21, 1:06 PM

Show me a better estimate. Show me your data. BLS data is there for all to see.

Lucid-Ideas said...

That's bush-league Achilles.

Employees of the month stand on your food.

Leland said...

Is there a good survey of the jobs that pay less than $15/hr?

For starters:
Campaigns should have to pay their "volunteers" the minimum wage they support.
And Interns (particularly political and media)
Migrant workers (particularly California seasonal agricultural workers)
YouTube influencers
Entry level jobs for High School students/graduates

I'm Full of Soup said...

Next time the Repubs control the 3 branches of govt, they should repeal the federal minimum wage law and require that only a state can enact a minimum wage law.

And I hope there is a next time.

madAsHell said...

The neighborhood Rite-Aid has installed self check-out kiosks. The Safeway has had them for at least a year now.

AlbertAnonymous said...

The parliamentarian? GMAFB.

No one listens to the Parliamentarian unless they get the answer they WANT.

The Dems could do this if they wanted to. Just ignore/override it.

No, this is all theater. Bad theater.

Rabel said...

"When I did the analysis the data showed the about 40% of employees in the US made less than $15 per hour. Hence if you mandate a $15 minimum wage about 40% of employees are directly affected. Is this unclear or misleading?"

I think what you may have seen is that in some congressional districts (ex. the Mississippi Delta) the percentage of workers earning less than $15.00 is as much as 40%.

That can't be stretched to the country as a whole where the number is closer to 20%.

Skippy Tisdale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

"...potentially deleterious policy...."?

Not for those who work minimum wage jobs, it wouldn't be.

Given how long it's been since the last increase in minimum wage, (2009--12 YEARS) and given inflation, minimum wage workers are seeing their wages drop every year.

If not $15.00 per hour at this time, why not something less than that but more than the current minimum wage? Why not $10.00 per hour? Or $9.00, or even a measly $8.00? That's still an increase over a even more measly $7.25.

Skippy Tisdale said...

The CBO said this minimum wage measure would put 1.4 million Americans out of work.

True, but the million who remain will get a raise, some of them a raise of 100% or more.

Que bono? The Democrats. Why? Because the folks getting raises will love their Robin Hood Democrats all the more and the people who lose their jobs will be all the more beholden to Democrats.

Brilliant strategy, actually.

Lucid-Ideas said...

@Unknown

"If not $15.00 per hour at this time, why not something less than that but more than the current minimum wage? Why not $10.00 per hour? Or $9.00, or even a measly $8.00? That's still an increase over a even more measly $7.25."

Economics hint...the work they do not isn't actually worth $7.25, it's actually less, and getting less with every passing year. This has nothing to do with wages, and everything to do with value. The value of the type of work done where the minimum wage matters is becoming less valuable. You can destroy price discovery and replace it with diktat all you want, but the fundamental underlying problem does not go away:

- These people have no skills
- Many have no room for improvement
- The value of their labor continues to go down (or is diluted by illegal immigration)
- The jobs they can do are increasingly automatable
- They would provide the same productivity at $15 that they do for $7.25

The real minimum wage is always zero. Value is created from that foundation, not in the opposite direction. I say again, the value of the work from this cohort is what is depreciating, not their wages.

I'm Not Sure said...

"If not $15.00 per hour at this time, why not something less than that but more than the current minimum wage? Why not $10.00 per hour? Or $9.00, or even a measly $8.00?"

Those are all arbitrary numbers. You are making the assumption that a worker's compensation is not related to the value he produces for his employer. Why? I'm quite sure his employer is not making the same assumption when calculating what to pay him.

Skippy Tisdale said...

Shows how ridiculously theatrical the whole thing is....

Washington, D.C. is Hollywood for homely people.

Known Unknown said...

"If not $15.00 per hour at this time, why not something less than that but more than the current minimum wage? Why not $10.00 per hour? Or $9.00, or even a measly $8.00? That's still an increase over a even more measly $7.25."

You know the legal minimum wage, but do you know the effective minimum wage?

The two are rarely the same in any given area. My son makes $11/hour in his first job at a retail store. That's the market price for those jobs.

Skippy Tisdale said...

BTW, union wages are predicated on the minimum wage, so union labor will increase in concert as will both union dues and political contributions to Democrats.

Known Unknown said...

"You want flies with that?"

Why would a self-contained system be prone to having flies?

It's not fucking C3PO with a spatula back there. It would be a complete machine that would cook, make, and distribute the burgers, like an automat.

donald said...

I’m sure the entire thing was rigged. They can and will
Do exactly what they want.

Skippy Tisdale said...

Look on the bright side. More jobs for Uyghurs in China.

effinayright said...

That can't be stretched to the country as a whole where the number is closer to 20%.
*****************

and what is the median age of that 20%, one asks...

Lucid-Ideas said...

Economics story time...

My City, County, and State are packed to the gunwales with job programs...programs galore...specifically designed for employee training. You name it. From 'learning to code' to modern robotic pick-and-pull to customer service to construction management etc. etc. etc. Most of these programs are in many cases free, in many other cases paid for by employers on a workforce development basis specifically to create the employees they so desperately need and can't seem to find despite a county-wide unemployment of 9.7%.

Know how many people use 'em? It is fucking pitiful. Obscenely so. Opportunity knocks but no one is home (at least where I live), and I have a bet that it isn't so much different elsewhere.

We need to come to a basic understanding of a long-standing economic principle. People, in some cases lots of people, do not want to work. They dislike work. They dislike chores and work is something that fills their bellies and if they could not do it and fill bellies they would do that. They're uninterested in self-improvement (despite the capacity in many) and want to drag themselves out of bed when they're not calling in sick or hungover and go to the McD's and do a shitty job while being checked out (or high) and slink off 10 minutes before the shift ends to go home and unwind before repeating the process...if they don't call off tomorrow...to do it all over again. Because they have to.

All of these grandiose economic theories fail in the face of what should be the real Labor Force Participation Rate, which should be measuring productivity instead of employment. Lots of people simply hate their jobs, do not want to work, do not want responsibility and do not want to improve when a handout could be just around the corner. This is not complex. But it sounds complex to them when someone explains to them why the 'value of their labor is depreciating' because that sounds like rich people words used by people trying to bilk them out of something they feel they deserve, even while they haven't earned it.

Achilles said...

Unknown said...

"...potentially deleterious policy...."?

Not for those who work minimum wage jobs, it wouldn't be.

Their labor is not worth 15$. They will be fired. They will be sad.

Given how long it's been since the last increase in minimum wage, (2009--12 YEARS) and given inflation, minimum wage workers are seeing their wages drop every year.

In 2019 after 3 years of pro-growth policies and limited illegal immigration incomes were going up for the bottom quintile for the first time in decades. The way to raise wages is to increase the demand for labor and decrease the supply.

It is not magic. That is why the working class overwhelmingly supported Trump.

If not $15.00 per hour at this time, why not something less than that but more than the current minimum wage? Why not $10.00 per hour? Or $9.00, or even a measly $8.00? That's still an increase over a even more measly $7.25.

You should spend 10 minutes and go watch a video on supply and demand. Then watch a video on marginal utility.

Yes those are real things.

I know it is hard for you to understand why right now but this question makes you look really really dumb.

Achilles said...

Lucid-Ideas said...

Economics hint...the work they do not isn't actually worth $7.25, it's actually less, and getting less with every passing year. This has nothing to do with wages, and everything to do with value. The value of the type of work done where the minimum wage matters is becoming less valuable. You can destroy price discovery and replace it with diktat all you want, but the fundamental underlying problem does not go away:

The value of their work does not become less valuable.

That is the supply of equally valuable labor increasing and resulting in the price the employer is willing to pay going down. With illegal immigration the business owner is able to get the same marginal utility for less capital. This generally increases their return on investment which is why COC types are all in for that.

When automated replacements are considered you are dealing with opportunity cost. If machines become cheaper the opportunity cost of the machines comes down. If the minimum wage goes up the marginal cost of the employee goes up. When these points inflect the employee is fired and the machine is bought.

Skippy Tisdale said...

You want flies with that?

Hey How-tard. I have eaten in fast food restaurants all over America. I never saw one with an employee dedicated to fly management. Not even in Alabama. Ya know why?

Pesticides, brought to you by Dow AgroScinces.

I'm Not Sure said...

"We need to come to a basic understanding of a long-standing economic principle. People, in some cases lots of people, do not want to work. They dislike work. They dislike chores and work is something that fills their bellies and if they could not do it and fill bellies they would do that."

Cartoon time again.

Work Hard, Keep Half vs. No Work, Free Stuff

I'm Not Sure said...

And you know what's really sad? These concepts are so uncomplicated they can be explained in a simple cartoon and still, some people don't get it.

Spiros said...

According to the CENSUS, the vast majority of people earning minimum wage aren’t working at large corporations with 1,000 or more employees. These people are working at small diners, independent grocery stores, franchisees affiliated with recognizable brands, etc. The minimum wage hike is very bad news for small businesses facing razor thin profit margins.

Oh, the IRS, immediately after the election, also announced that it intended to increase small business audits by 50% next year. So that's some more bullsh*t. Covid, a new minimum wage and more audits. At what point does this become a war on small businesses and the people who own them?

BUMBLE BEE said...

Dems would give it to them, by God they would but, SOMEONE is stopping them. They'd do it all right. Off the top of your head... who is stopping them? Schumer is a sebaceous cyst on the ass of America.

daskol said...

Show me a better estimate. Show me your data. BLS data is there for all to see.

Here you go, Scott.

Price of a Big Mac, 2009,2020:
£2.29, £3.29
$3.57, $5.66

Up around 60% while the Brits only up 50%. Not just inflation, more than in other places.



daskol said...

Also, $US used to buy less £UK, so if you look at exchange rates, a Big Mac has gotten relatively even more expensive here.

Michael K said...

Covid, a new minimum wage and more audits. At what point does this become a war on small businesses and the people who own them?

They should not have voted for Trump. Everybody knows that.

Jersey Fled said...

UPS, Amazon and Fed-Ex all have recruiting signs in my area offering $15 per hour or more.

Let the market work.

h said...

The higher minimum wage is not intended to help low wage people. The increases in market earnings of low wage people because of a higher minimum wage are offset dollar-for-dollar by reductions in government program benefits. (you could look it up or run your own simulations here https://nicc.urban.org/netincomecalculator/ )

So a higher minimum wage helps the budgets of state and local governments (and federal government as well). But it doesn't help low wage recipients who stay employed and has a modest harmful effect on low wage recipients who lose their jobs because of the higher minimum wage. I don't mind having a discussion about whether a higher minimum wage is good or bad, but don't make the argument that a higher minimum wage is a way of helping poor people.

boatbuilder said...

No parent of teenage sons who has tried to get those teenage sons started in the workplace is a supporter of minimum wage laws.

I am speaking from a certain level of ignorance here, but it is my understanding that union contracts typically peg wages and wage increases to either the minimum wage or (more likely) to "prevailing" wage levels (which do not take unemployment levels into account).

Hence union support for raising minimum wages. Even (or even especially) unions whose members earn many multiples of whatever the minimum or prevailing wage may be.

Hence pay no attention to the inevitable job (and tax base) contraction. It's all good!

n.n said...

UPS, Amazon and Fed-Ex all have recruiting signs in my area offering $15 per hour or more.

That's not the market. Amazon, in particular, is highly leveraged through financing. At least one loophole, the floating nexus, was closed, and sales tax has a reduced footprint in market distortion.

boatbuilder said...

God help you if you are an inner-city parent of young adults. If they can avoid drugs, gangs and crime, the only real way into productive adult life is work--a job.

Who is going to hire your kid at $15 per hour?

I see all these young kids working hard at McDonalds and Wendy's or the local hardware store or coffee shop and I appreciate it--they don't always know what the hell they are doing but they are working and learning (probably a hell of a lot more than they do in school).

I certainly did when I was their age. If I didn't have a job I would have gone in a very different direction.


How the hell else is this country going to survive?




n.n said...

but don't make the argument that a higher minimum wage is a way of helping poor people

Exactly right. There is a correlation between wages and affordability and availability. The fitness of higher minimum wages assumes progressive costs in a vacuum (e.g. absent immigration reform, labor and environmental arbitrage, regulatory prejduice). This is the same logical fallacy that underlies and sustains passage of Obamacares.

Arturo Ui said...

Maybe he's just actually disappointed because our minimum wage is nowhere near a living wage.

Arturo Ui said...

boatbuilder said...
God help you if you are an inner-city parent of young adults. If they can avoid drugs, gangs and crime, the only real way into productive adult life is work--a job.

Who is going to hire your kid at $15 per hour?

****************

In the past 20 years, the amount of adults working minimum wage jobs has soared.

Tom said...

I don’t know why we should try and stop the Dems from doing everything they want.

This is what America voted for - let’s give America what it wants... good n hard.

Josephbleau said...

"Maybe he's just actually disappointed because our minimum wage is nowhere near a living wage."

The minimum wage is $0.00 per hour. The capital cost of robots is balanced by the statutory minimum wage. When AI can sufficiently cognate H1B visas will disapear.

boatbuilder said...

"In the past 20 years, the amount of adults working minimum wage jobs has soared."

As has the amount of "undocumented" adults in the labor force.

A different issue, but related. Do you support closing the borders so that illegals don't drive down wages and take jobs?

Hint. "Minimum wage" should be "starting wage." If you are worth more someone will pay you more. "Minimum wage" is good money in Mexico, Honduras and Ecuador.

Unknown said...

The thing about entry level positions is pretty simple. 1) Show up on time. 2) Don't take unscheduled absences. That's it. Really, that's it.

You are in the top 20%. Employers are going to fight over you. It ain't your job forever. It's your job for now. Everyday you show up, the window of opportunity widens.

That's it. Do that for 3 months and you will get a raise. The customer you helped or waited on, sees you. Everybody sees you. You can't see it. Everybody else sees you.

Some are born with the silver spoon in their mouth. Can't do a damn thing about that. Let it go. Be the guy that shows up on time.

I'm Not Sure said...

"It ain't your job forever. It's your job for now."

Surprisingly enough, lots of people are unable to figure this out. I guess they think taking orders at the drive-thru window is a career choice.

Arturo Ui said...

boatbuilder said...
"In the past 20 years, the amount of adults working minimum wage jobs has soared."

As has the amount of "undocumented" adults in the labor force.

******************

If you've voted Republican your entire life--which I am sure you have--you have supported unregulated labor markets for decades. Don't get high and mighty about "undocumented" adults working in our markets at this late stage.

alanc709 said...

If wages go up 30%, that is reflected in the overall cost of the product produced. Who mainly purchases the products produced by minimum wage workers? Those same minimum wage workers. So, they might get more money, but the cost of what they buy also increased. They are usually worse off than they were before the government micromanaged business expenses. Minimum wage is essentially a tax on businesses. Anything you tax, you get less of. Fools and socialists promote a minimum wage.

Josephbleau said...

"If you've voted Republican your entire life--which I am sure you have--you have supported unregulated labor markets for decades. Don't get high and mighty about "undocumented" adults working in our markets at this late stage."

Logical construction: If you have done something which I assume you have, you certainly support something else. Separately, don't think you are above others working in the US at a time period close to the present.

h said...

replying to Hercules at 7:18. Completely agree. I heard an interview with (something like) the "president of McDonald's University" presented as the person who trains more entry level people than anyone else in the US. When asked what were the appropriate skills his organization was trying to impart he said, "1. Come to your job everyday on time; 2. When at work, stay for your entire shift." when I heard this, I thought "who doesn't know this?". Now I realize its insight, and I wonder why we don't have require high school classes that impart this information.

Howard said...

Apparently you can catch a lot of flies with flies. It didn't mean anything except to rhyme with fries.

Gahrie said...

Apparently you can catch a lot of flies with flies. It didn't mean anything except to rhyme with fries.

I bet he typed it in a Japanese accent! Roll the tumbrels!

I'm Not Sure said...

When asked what were the appropriate skills his organization was trying to impart he said, "1. Come to your job everyday on time; 2. When at work, stay for your entire shift." when I heard this, I thought "who doesn't know this?"

And there are people who think that those who *don't* know that should be paid $15/hr.

I know- idiots, right?

Gahrie said...

"It ain't your job forever. It's your job for now."

Surprisingly enough, lots of people are unable to figure this out. I guess they think taking orders at the drive-thru window is a career choice.


As a former fast food manager, I have to tell you that many do. I once worked with a lady who worked as a shift worker for Jack in the Box for twenty-five years. She never even made it to shift leader. I started at the store she worked at cleaning the parking lot/toilets for minimum wage, and was the night shift manager in less than six months. There was a clear path for advancement for anyone willing to take it and assume extra responsibilities. (By the way my pay was $9 an hour as the night manager in 1989)

boatbuilder said...

Arturo-I know you are just a troll and I shouldn't bother--but assuming that all of your assumptions about what I may or may not have believed at one or another point in my life are correct--So what?

What is your-you-Arturo or whatever the hell your real name is--position on illegal immigration? Right now?

Gahrie said...

And there are people who think that those who *don't* know that should be paid $15/hr.

Actually, they expect those people to end up on UBI. That's the end game.

I'm Not Sure said...

"There was a clear path for advancement for anyone willing to take it and assume extra responsibilities."

Yep.

"Actually, they expect those people to end up on UBI. That's the end game."

Yep.

I'm Not Sure said...

BLS stats:

Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2002 annual averages

25 years and over: 1,010,000

https://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2002tbls.htm

Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by selected characteristics, 2020 annual averages

25 years and older: 583,000

https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2020/home.htm

Looks like nearly half as many adults employed at minimum wage today as 20 years ago. Hmmmmmm....

I'm Not Sure said...

"Nearly" = "Somewhat more". Sorry about that.

Unknown said...

When I was young, I took a job. The job sucked. I hated it. But...I needed that job. As much as I hated it, I showed up every day. On time. As it turned out, I didn't have to keep that job. The next step on the ladder appeared.

What about those surly and hateful people who abused the customers, and marinated in their anger and hatred at the unfairness of it all.

They became Democrats.

Howard said...

Bingo

boatbuilder said...

Don't confuse me with the facts, INS. :^)

narciso said...

https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/26/estimates-george-floyd-riots-to-cost-66-times-more-than-capitol-damage/#.YDlX-tcXLNQ.twitter

I'm Not Sure said...

"Don't confuse me with the facts..."

Get in the way of the narrative, do they? ;-)

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

boatbuilder:

Who is going to hire your kid at $15 per hour?

Arturo Ui:

In the past 20 years, the amount of adults working minimum wage jobs has soared.

Thereby proving that boatbuilder's kid is screwed: If adults with job experience merit $15, the chances that a kid with no experience does are essentially zero.

Unknown said...

I went to a Dude Ranch in Tucson, some years ago. I wanted to ride horses. I wanted to ride across a desert with saguaro cacti as far as the eye could see.

The guy next to me on his horse, had the biggest smile I ever saw. He started out his teen life working for McDonalds as a fry cook.

Showed up on time. Didn't take unscheduled absences...and then a little more. He'd get a call... so and so hasn't shown up...can you fill in? OMW. (On my way)

He became the Manager. The owner sent him to Hamburger U. How gauche! Regardless, he became a Regional Manager...then bought a Franchise. Then another.

When I met him, he owned 3 McDonalds franchises. Pulling down millions.

Showed up on time. Never whined about a minimum wage.

I'm Not Sure said...

When I met him, he owned 3 McDonalds franchises. Pulling down millions.

Showed up on time. Never whined about a minimum wage.


Somewhere, Mike Rowe is smiling.

Rt41Rebel said...

For a large percentage of kids in HS or recently out of HS, a minimum wage job is THE ONLY practical career training that they will ever receive, unless they went to trade school or STEM college. They sure as hell didn't get any practical skills in HS or with a throw away degree. So yeah, let's take that away from them as well. They can game in their parent's basements for the rest of their lives.

I'm Not Sure said...

"The real problem is that workers are not so much underpaid as they are under-skilled. And the real task is to help those people become skilled. Congress cannot do this simply by declaring that as of such-and-such a date, everybody’s productive output is now worth $7.25 per hour. This makes about as much sense, and does just about as much harm, as doctors “curing” patients simply by declaring that they are cured." - Walter Williams

Mutaman said...

About 57 percent of Wisconsin voters support an increase in the minimum wage, according to the Marquette Law School poll released April 12,2019.

https://marquettewire.org/4012473/opinion/harte-wisconsin-minimum-wage-demands-increase/

Unknown said...

Gathrie -"I once worked with a lady who worked as a shift worker for Jack in the Box for twenty-five years. She never even made it to shift leader."

Many want to just get by. They don't need to be fixed. They just want to get by.
A shift leader carries with it, responsibilities. If your front-line doesn't show up...YOU have to show up. Not everyone wants to do that.

Their sojourn here has other lessons.

It's not about skills. Congress and everybody else has no business pestering them.

You can lead a horse to water, but your can't make him drink.





Bunkypotatohead said...

"Lots of people simply hate their jobs, do not want to work, do not want responsibility and do not want to improve when a handout could be just around the corner."

I felt that way making $100k/yr. ;)

Achilles said...

Arturo Ui said...

Maybe he's just actually disappointed because our minimum wage is nowhere near a living wage.


And really ignorant and stupid people think the answer is as easy as just raising the minimum wage.

And every time the minimum wage goes up total income for the lowest quintile falls. And idiots like Arturo Ui are mystified.

While intelligent and competent people like Donald Trump understand how to actually increase the income levels of the bottom quintile. They reduce illegal immigration tightening the supply of labor and they put in place pro business tax structures and reductions in regulation and this increases the demand for labor.

And Incomes for the lowest wage earners goes up for the first time in decades.

And idiots like Arturo Ui scream at the sky because they can't see how the most basic socioeconomic systems work.

cubanbob said...

Arturo and Howard to name a few probably have net made a payroll. First lesson an employer learns is that hourly or weekly wage is that plus 33% more to cover FICA/FUTA health insurance,unemployment insurance, workmans comp, sick days, vacation days, paid holidays, family leave act days, getting to work late and leaving work early costs, other employer benefits and every effing mistake the employee makes. The minimum wage employee is on balance the least productive employee and proportionally the highest cost employee. A $7.25 employee is really a $10 employee and a $15 is really a $20.

As for being cynical a la Chuck Schumer, the Republican Country Club Elite in Congress should propose a $30 an hour minimum wage. It won't pass but it will put Chuck The Schmuck and the Progs in Congress on the spot. Imagine them arguing $15 is great but $30 is too much. If the Dems take the bait then most working people will realize that any job that can be offshored, passed on to illegal aliens or automated will be. The bitter joke is if everyone disposed by the new minimum wage were able to learn to code, coding would be a new minimum wage job.

stlcdr said...

Blogger Scott Gustafson said...
stlcdr said...
Those are weasel-words if ever I saw them.
2/26/21, 11:37 AM
Huh?
When I did the analysis the data showed the about 40% of employees in the US made less than $15 per hour. Hence if you mandate a $15 minimum wage about 40% of employees are directly affected. Is this unclear or misleading?

2/26/21, 12:31 PM


That’s not what you said, at all. What you said was completely misleading.

stlcdr said...

Mutaman said...
About 57 percent of Wisconsin voters support an increase in the minimum wage, according to the Marquette Law School poll released April 12,2019.

https://marquettewire.org/4012473/opinion/harte-wisconsin-minimum-wage-demands-increase/

2/26/21, 10:40 PM



That’s Wisconsin’s problem (sic) to deal with.

MikeR said...

The real problem workers have right now is unemployment. This wouldn't help!

B Sharpe said...

Hell, we should abolish the minimum wage, or at least suspend it for the next two years or so, while we dig out of this quagmire of an over-reaction to the COVID.

"Abolish the Minimum Wage". That's my mantra and I'm sticking with it.

Unknown said...

How far we've come.

A somewhat innocuous Federal Government was tasked with providing for the National Defense. Nah, they don't wanna do that.

It was tasked as a referee to decide squabbles between States. Nah, they want to dictate cultural issues, and tell the hoi polloi 'who we are'. Lord have mercy, if that's who you are, I want no part of you, you sick, twisted freaks.

That's where we are now. Sick, twisted freaks defining, 'Who we are'.

Mutaman said...

"That’s Wisconsin’s problem (sic) to deal with."

In West Virginia, raising the minimum wage to $15 has the support of 62% of voters.
in Pennsylvania, 62% of voters in 2019 supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
And at least 59% of Americans support the $15 minimum wage.

So actually Sparky, its your problem.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-minimum-wage/majority-of-americans-support-15-minimum-wage-reuters-ipsos-poll-shows-idUSKBN2AP2B9