Little impact in SeaTac from $15 minimum wage

So it turns out that minimum wage increases don't destroy the economy, end business or get everyone fired as so many people like to claim here. I find it funny that the business people quoted are claiming it didn't do any good (other than the workers of course, but who cares about them right?) while ignoring the fact that it didn't do any harm either which is the real point of this.

Little impact in SeaTac from $15 minimum wage

seattletimes.com...

a reply to: CB328

It's only been a year, but it does look promising.

a reply to: CB328

No, they destroy small business. You really want to work for someone who doesn't give a # about you. Hell, I bet they replace you with a robot or illegal.

a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

What destroys small business is not how much they pay employees its how much your overhead is IE cost of living.

Rent and insurance and business license and taxes, those are the small business killers not paying your employees a decent wage.

Oh i forgot, most small business's already pay their employees more then minimum wage, this is going to have an impact on big business more than anything, thanks for the input though.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

What destroys small business is not how much they pay employees its how much your overhead is IE cost of living.

Rent and insurance and business license and taxes, those are the small business killers not paying your employees a decent wage.

Oh i forgot, most small business's already pay their employees more then minimum wage, this is going to have an impact on big business more than anything, thanks for the input though.

And here I thought it had something to do with competing against big corps that are being subsidized with tax money from our their government.

From the OP link…

Paul Guppy, researcher at the Washington Policy Center, said some employers are removing benefits like free meals to make up for the wage increase.

Sneaky bastards.

So far it only affects about 1500 employees, not enough of a change to send ripples through the economy. Next they plan to include some airline workers… Its in the link.

I like the direction this is taking, if the corps "play along' that is. Starting up slow would spare the economy the shock of too much injected capital at one time. And it shows the state is at least beginning to actually serve the people they have been elected to represent.

Carry on.

a reply to: onequestion

That's why we have conglomerates. Because small business is thriving. Quit smoking the ganja.

The article says the increase affected an estimated 1500 workers.
That is in a city of 652,000 people.
How much effect did you expect it to have?


This is out of the article..

"We're not seeing the big benefits that proponents said we would because so few people are affected," said Guppy. "And at the same time, it's not having a ripple effect through the economy. It just affects so few jobs, it's not having much impact."


Nothing has been proven and the article is saying just that.

originally posted by: LOSTinAMERICA
a reply to: CB328

No, they destroy small business. You really want to work for someone who doesn't give a # about you. Hell, I bet they replace you with a robot or illegal.

Odd isn't it?

Those who scream the loudest about "evil corporations" could give a damn less about small mom and pops that go out of business?

I would love to see some stats of how many "small business" had to close their doors!

I do most of my buying from small local businesses even though I know it is costing me more money than supporting the big corporate stores, and let me tell you! Those who hate the corporations so much don't have a clue as to how this effects the bottom line of people like me who prove my point by actions and not words!

Odd that they won't address the government for sending our good jobs overseas, but yet demand a higher wage?

I find the hypocrisy a bit entertaining between the people who say they support small business and the working man and mom and pop all while trying to push a 15 dollar an hour minimum wage......

Do you not see that the only people that are goign to be able to survive are huge corporations while mom and pop go under?

You know businesses you hate like Wal-Mart.....

a reply to: seeker1963

I'd like to open up a small business and have an equal playing field. I can't compete. I do try. I know that they are indoctrinating everyone to be drones for big business. I can't do it, sorry. I'll die poor but I'll die happy. Anyone want to play Monopoly?

I would be interested to hear how the workers are affected. Are they now able to lift themselves up to a better standard of living? If so by how much? Do they get the same number of hours? Have they lost any other benefits other than free meals?

Basicly does raising the min wage to 15 bucks and hour fire the magic bullet and fix everything? If it does then, let's get it on

This is really simple.

A small business sells products or services. They have a market for say, $1,000,000 in sales

Say they have 20 workers, and their labor expense is $400,000. If the cost per unit of labor is increased, they can keep their labor expense fixed at $400,000 by firing one of the 20 workers and getting by with 19 workers.

And/or they can pass on the expense to customers by raising prices.

Small business will never be able to compete with larger businesses in this scenario.

Oh... and have you seen this? It's the chart of minimum wage in terms of real, inflated adjusted dollars. There is NO increase in real wages.

Wrong post. It's the hangover.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Obviously putting more money into the hands of the poor is helping please stop spreading that total nonsense.

There are many factors in why small business is not able to thrive in the current political climate. Wages can be higher when cost of running the business is lower and taxes are lower.

I swear to god there is paid informants working on these boards trying to implant ideas and sway thought.

How Can We Confront Walmart? Russell Brand The Trews (E198)

Reaction to news that Walmart workers in six US states will strike ahead of the Black Friday sales

About this minimum wage business, Russel points out the average wage of a Walmart employee is 11,000 dollars a year, yet the company earns close to a quarter of trillion dollars a year in revenue.

So they cant afford to increase wages can they?, LOL.

a reply to: onequestion

Only if you let them.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Obviously putting more money into the hands of the poor is helping please stop spreading that total nonsense.

There are many factors in why small business is not able to thrive in the current political climate. Wages can be higher when cost of running the business is lower and taxes are lower.

It's not obvious when the income, adjusted for inflation, is lower than before the minimum wage was increased.

And I'm almost certain that swaying the "thoughts" of the few hundred people who might stumble onto this thread doesn't matter.

a reply to: Dabrazzo

Not until they destroy the competition. Then they will have no choice. Kill the golden goose and see what happens. They will eat your children you know.