I also voted against it. Sad to see such misinformed citizens voting now days. They don't think, that extra $1 has to come from somewhere and it will not all come form profits. Some will be passed on to the consumer. Prices have been getting out of hand in all markets over the past few years. Housing has almost doubled in 4 years but my salary will never be able to match. Anyone get a cost of living raise in FL????

 

Do a good job, get a good raise, Do ****ty job, get **** for raise. If this isnt how its workign for you, get a new job.

 

Businesses operate on profit margins. They still might be able to function if their employees get a raise, but their profit margin will go down. They won't let that happen so they will raise the prices for goods. Its a vicious cylce. Raising the minimum wages does more harm than good. Sure, some guy making min wage gets a little more, but my salary isn't going to go up, but the cost of goods will. Raising the min wage hurts more peple than it helps.

All that said, now some person with no education and no motivation in life is almost making what I am making and I am highly motivated and college educated. They complain that min wage wasn't enough and thats not fair, so how is it fair that the un-educated, un-motivated make nearly as much as me???

 

so all those people making minimum wage are now working $1 per hour harder than 72 hours ago? uh huh


lots of professional type and office jobs are fixed salaries that are staked at a certain % above minimum wage. not only this, but as erik pointed out there are plenty of people who made less than what the new minimum wage is. paying for all of these people to get raises, as well as the minimum wage people, as well as the people with salaries that are a fixed number above minimum wage is going to be expensive.

there are a whole lot more people that are going to have to get raises now than just the "minimum wage" people -- can't wait to see what florida's rate of inflation is this year.

 

With all the legal BS aside, how many companies do you guys know of that start at minimum wage? I can probably say most fast food places and Win dixie, and hotels, but lots of places I know of start around $6.50 to $8. Sam's start off a $8 for carts, and up to $8.90 to change tires and batteries (before adding $0.40 per year of experience). BJ's I think is $7.50,and Costco starts you off at $10 and gives close to $1 per year raise or more.

 

Florida is a right to work state. You do a good job rated against your peers and you might get a 3-4% raise. This does not even cover the food and gas increases that are happening throughout the year for some people. At this pace, you will never get back to the way you were say 5-7 years ago. I got an 8% raise this year, but that isn't the norm. Housing only went up ~40% last year, that affects cost of living. Especially in the "cheaper compared to the national averages" Space Coast. So what industry is everyone in. I work in Gov't Communications/Defense.

 

Do you think businesses will hand out $ to anyone making more than $6.15 without a legal fight? I don't think they will volunteer money if they don't have to.

 

If you have a Bachelor's Degree and you're making a marginal amount over the min. wage, who's problem is that?

 

No two competing companies in the same industry will offer compensation that far apart when they're both getting their employees from the same labor pool. Unless the company that pays that much more has revenues equal to the proportion of the difference they offer in compensation. I just don't see that happening.

 

Housing went up last year because that market is unusually healthy right now. Companies know this, but they're not going to give everyone a raise equal to the increase of housing AND the cost of living, inflation would simply skyrocket.

I know about the awesome deals over in your area, I used to live in the county above you. The area I moved to for a job after school is one of the richest areas in FL, and my company doesn't adjust your salary to compensate for the COL over here. There's no way I'll be able to afford the type of house I want for another 5 yrs.

I work in the chemical industry.

 

Well I started working at Sam's almost 6 years ago at $6.50. I almost quit but they raised the minimum to $8 because Costco went to $9. And now that Costco whent to $10, Sam's has altered the pay scale again for certain positions.

As far as BJ's, I'm not sure if that's still the starting rate now. It was about a year ago.

That in turn does prove your point as well. When one of them changes, the others try to stay close. I know people that have worked at Costco as long as I've been at sams and they make $15 to $17 per hour compared to me at $11. If I would have known how they worked, I would have made the switch a logn time ago, but now its too late for me to come out on top if I try to switch.

 

I heard a stat when this was being voted on that there are like 500,000 min wage jobs in Florida and right now there are about as many people who are working in high school!!! So, you could say that the min wage jobs are being held by those in high school (even though we know that isn't entirely true and there is a mix). When you are in high school and working at McDonald's you are SUPPOSED to be making min wage. Everybody starts somewhere. By raising the min wage all that is going to happen are the prices of items will go up and those who are going to get a raise due to this (making min wage) will pay more for the stuff they are buying. End result is a net ZERO for the min wage worker. However, this will be a decrease in "purchasing power" for those who make more than min wage now because their products just went up but their pay didn't. Tell me the good that can come of this???

If you are 20 years old or 25 years old and making min wage, guess what... it's your OWN DAMN FAULT. If you don't like making $5.15 an hour then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. You aren't supposed to be 30 years old working at a damn Taco Bell and if you are, the extra $30 a week (min wage people don't typically work 40 hours a week) ain't gonna do squat to improve your life. I'm not trying to knock the people working at these places in their 20's or 30's because if that's what they want to do and are happy doing it then good for them. However, don't bitch about the low pay in these type jobs because they are not supposed to pay $25 an hour... if you want a better paying job, make it happen. Each person controls their own future to a large degree... if you want to be a dead beat you can be. If you want to make something of yourself DO IT because guess who controls you... YOU. I'm just trying to say that it (obviously) ticks me off that people voted in this damn min wage for what? Do they think they are going to be better off making $20-$30 more a week? This is not going to help anybody, period.

Oh, and while I'm on a rant, how many people do you know who make crap wages and always bitch about having no money have a cell phone and smoke and always have a stinkin' Pepsi can in their hand? I thought so... probably about every one of them. They can start improving their financial situation by ditching the cell phone, stop smoking, and drinking KOOL AID that costs about $0.15 a gallon!

I guess on the bright side though... we must live in a damn good country and have a kick *** economy when "poor" people have cell phones and smoke $4 a pack Marlborough cigs.

 

now that i'm $1 closer to minimum wage, how do i go about collecting food stamps?

 

Could not have said it better if I tried! Excellent summary.

Marty

 

Soon we'll be eating off the $2 dollar menu at McD's.