LaserWolf said:The_Hook_Up said:My .02:
First, everybody scoffing at the ffw request for $15/hr and think it is absurd, I hope I never have to be on your team to negotiate anything, because you obviously suck at it. As my father said, "you cant sell up". Meaning, you start at a high, idealized figure. If they are asking for 15, then if it does start a serious discussion among ff executives, then perhaps the compromise ends up at 10/11. They couldnt ask for 10 and hope they can negotiate that price higher. If they asked for a more reasonable price , like 10 an hour, they would end up with a compromised rate of 8 an hour, a raise of only a few cents.
Secondly, as I have read hundreds of comments on my local news boards, the consensus opinions on the 15/hr question (the majority of opinions seems to be "hell no") seem to stem from 3 reasons...the number one reason appears to be akin of "they forgot to give me an extra ranch sauce, so fuck them", followed by "they work in fast food, therefore, they are too stupid to work anywhere else"(ironic that opinions like these seemed to be written in 2nd grade English by self described "educated" people...but I digress) and then the anecdotal and sentimental, "I-have-a-better-work- ethic than everybody who works in fast food nowadays because I flipped burgers in high school for $2/ an hour and I didn't complain." It is very amazing that so many 16-year olds in the 60s and 70s were able to work, go to school, pay rent, have health insurance, and raise a family on 2 an hour...oh, wait. What I am saying is that all of the above reasons against a higher minimum wage are complete bullshit. Even "scholarly" essays against raising the minimum wage are devoid of actual facts and figures and with a word substitution, could be an essay defending slavery. Again, the arguments against it are complete bullshit...they are based in gut-feelings and a mis -informed worldview.
third, I believe if you decide to play the game and decide you want to work 40 hours a week for someone, that you deserve not to live in poverty. Whatever you do.. flip burgers, shine shoes, dig ditches, whatever.. you deserve to be able to pay rent, eat and go see a doctor. Period.
Bonus beat...I find it hilarious and sad that the same people who say "pay them whatever you want to, it is YOUR business, you are a "job creator", you should have the say in what you pay them" are the same people who piss and moan about the existence of food stamps and how they don't want their tax dollars going to them. So you are against people working to feed themselves and against them getting gov't help to feed themselves... uhh, ok.
I wont even get started on the "they should go to college crowd". It takes a special kind of stupid to think you can throw tuition, books, fees and extra babysitting into the ffw's budget when rent and food cannot be covered by the minimum wage.
X2 !