Do you think the minimum wage should be higher?

I understand that the current minimum wage is low and it would be very hard for someone to support a family on it but minimum wage is there for a starting point. Please explain how there would be a gain if minimum wage was increased to $10.00 / hr. $7.00 value meals would go up to $9.00...the cost of everything produced by minimum wage labor would go up so there would be no net gain. More money on a paycheck would merely end up being spent on the increased cost of goods. That's why it's important for people to have more than minimum skills and education. Educated people are having a hard time finding employment but their chances are better than those who drop out in the 9th grade and can't spell CAT if you spot them the "C" and the "T". Employers pay FUTA, SUTA, and W.C. premiums based upon "gross payroll" so increasing the minimum wage drives up their cost and ultimately ends up reducing the numbers of workers and requiring the remaining workers to "produce more" . Many people that rant against the profit businesses make don't understand the difference between "gross" and "net" profit...I do. I also think that CEO's who make 50 - 100 million a year could reduce their salaries to 25 million and use the money to pay better wages in many cases.

In business there has to be give and take on both sides by management and labor and over the past decade or two both have dug their heels in and only wanted to "take". I know this as I have over 15 years experience in employee placement in large manufacturing facilities. Once I got management to sit down with labor and each side to look at the realities of the numbers we were able to implement programs that resulted in better wages and in increased production and quality. It's not rocket science but it is very hard to get the two groups to come together and actually listen to each other.

I could go off on a long radical rant, explaining why money isn't even real anymore,
http://webstation19.8k.com/mo...
Money is a medium for bartering, that is why shiney stones were the first monies. .... http://webstation19.8k.com/mo...
As for our education system,
webstation19.8k.com/EDU.HTM
As far as 9th grade edu and college grad's the difference has shunk to say the least...
webstation19.8k.com/EDU2.HTM

I proposed in 1995 that As part of education reform, scaling minimum wage to education level.

Well, here is where I'll start picking up labels. Our "system" tells us as kids that anyone can do anything and that rates right up there with the tooth fairy and Easter bunny. The truth is and always has been, that half the jobs out there don't pay a real living wage. These jobs usually don't require a college education and are usually filled by people who are working there way through college. Half these people work those same types of jobs the rest of their lives. The country is currently boasting 90% of kids going to college.

Why? so half of them can work minimum wage and spend their lives paying for an education that gave them nothing in return. I do say nothing. I have spent all of my life in an around college towns and the level of education has dropped to a pitiful low. "The people" had fits when kids were leaving grade school without being able to read or do simple math and then "the people" had fits when kids were graduating from High school without being able to read or do simple math.

Now we have people are graduating from college who can't read, make change for a dollar or even calculate taxes in their head. We have College grads who don't have the education that I had when I finished sixth grade. Is this what we deserve for $40,000 education? Those same grads are expecting $50,000 a year jobs for their worthless piece of paper... People are going $40,000 in debt before they start their adult life and end up having to work 2 or 3 jobs just to get by... Now instead of two income families we have four income families who still can't get by, and have no time to teach their children basic math and reading skills, the cycle continues and there is no end in sight.

We have thrown enough money at trying to get people to be something they are not, I believe the earlier someone takes their station in life the happier they will be. Poverty is the natural downside, to the rich getting richer. Socialism is the answer to poverty, because if everybody is poor then we are all equal...

A current example of wage scaling would be (written in 1995 needs an inflation adjustment)
For those without a high school education $5.00 per hour minimum
For those with a high School education $6.00 per hour minimum
For those with community college (2 years) or vocational education
training $7.00 per hour min
For those with a full four year College education $8.00 per hour minimum
Masters $9.00
Doctorate $10.00

This would make those doing the hiring more likely to hire to match the training needed for a specific job. As far as opportunity and getting rich, there are two kinds of money, old money that comes from your parents and new money that comes from hard work and fresh ideas. There is no direct correlation of education to financial status.

This campaign I have propsed the most radical Rule...
The goodwill bill, in which the government recognizes that people has intristic values...
http://webstation19.8k.com/go...


But the simplest statement to affect reality is that companies can raise their prices, people can't. Inflation is a natural part of Capitalism, Only those who are cash fat are hurt by inflation ie: rich people. The lower class wiill always be spinning their wheels...
Everything of any real value, will rise with inflation.

The net gain comes when every person has an equal chance to live, reguardless of economic stature of their parents.