Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - The Minimum Wage Argument: Is it too Low?

pan6467 · 01-29-2005, 09:47 AM

The problem isn't minimum wage (although it should be higher), it is companies that pay as little as possible through temp services with no benefits.

I don't buy into the "companies can't afford to pay more" when the directors and higher management make a far bigger gap than ever before. But the market allows this to happen because almost all the manufacturing is going to temp agencies (and hiring very very very few if any as full time).

The old "management takes the risk" workers supply the product, is proving to be a hollow cry in today's world. When faced with higher salaries the companies pack up and leave to cheaper labor and the upper management makes even more. Something is seriously wrong when upper management would rather pay as little as possible and make as much as possible.

Henry Ford was quoted as saying, "pay a man enough to buy your product and feel good about his work and you will always have a customer." We have truly gotten away from that.

See what happens when you pay people as low as possible .... tax base is lowered, people depend on more government services (especially healthcare), have them deeper in debt, feeling less secure in themselves, and envious of the rich.

What I would propose is tax benefits to companies that pay better wages and have benefits. I would also limit CEO's and other upper management's salaries to a certain %age over the average salary. However allow bonus pay if the company grows and hires new workers full time with benefits.

There is no reason why a CEO should make 1+ million and pay his workers 8.50 an hour through a temp service with no benefits. There is too huge a gap in there. If he is willing to eventually see his tax burden increase to the high 80%ile, because his workers need government healthcare. And he is willing to pay the debts his workers can't pay and forfeit on, then keep paying those wages.

In the end in order to keep tax burden balanced and the economy moving wages and benefits must go up to liveable..... or the economy will totally self destruct and the tax burden will be totally on the rich.

01-29-2005, 09:47 AM	#20 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	The problem isn't minimum wage (although it should be higher), it is companies that pay as little as possible through temp services with no benefits. I don't buy into the "companies can't afford to pay more" when the directors and higher management make a far bigger gap than ever before. But the market allows this to happen because almost all the manufacturing is going to temp agencies (and hiring very very very few if any as full time). The old "management takes the risk" workers supply the product, is proving to be a hollow cry in today's world. When faced with higher salaries the companies pack up and leave to cheaper labor and the upper management makes even more. Something is seriously wrong when upper management would rather pay as little as possible and make as much as possible. Henry Ford was quoted as saying, "pay a man enough to buy your product and feel good about his work and you will always have a customer." We have truly gotten away from that. See what happens when you pay people as low as possible .... tax base is lowered, people depend on more government services (especially healthcare), have them deeper in debt, feeling less secure in themselves, and envious of the rich. What I would propose is tax benefits to companies that pay better wages and have benefits. I would also limit CEO's and other upper management's salaries to a certain %age over the average salary. However allow bonus pay if the company grows and hires new workers full time with benefits. There is no reason why a CEO should make 1+ million and pay his workers 8.50 an hour through a temp service with no benefits. There is too huge a gap in there. If he is willing to eventually see his tax burden increase to the high 80%ile, because his workers need government healthcare. And he is willing to pay the debts his workers can't pay and forfeit on, then keep paying those wages. In the end in order to keep tax burden balanced and the economy moving wages and benefits must go up to liveable..... or the economy will totally self destruct and the tax burden will be totally on the rich. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?" Last edited by pan6467; 01-29-2005 at 09:51 AM..