Living Wage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pctMvVHTNAo
January 21, 2009
When I watch this video, I think the whole idea is a great idea. The current minimum wage in our country is not enough money to support a family, which I know first hand. Fortunately I have my family to help. But for those who do not, life is hard. The video makes me wonder if there are other groups out there who are supporting this issue, because this is the first time I had ever heard of the idea. I also agree with the video, in the sense that instating a living wage will give people a sense of freedom and independence.
I would hope this idea would apply to all people from all walks of life. Although this idea raises many questions in my mind, how exactly would this affect our nation? Would it decrease government spending because people would not need government assistance? Do the current minimum wage and the current crime rate have a direct correlation? Would it cause a decrease in crime rate? I think that if a person feels as if they are in a hopeless environment that their current situation will never change. They become desperate and resort to criminal activities to get what they need to survive, whether it’s dealing drugs, stealing or violence. Case in point, a story from FOX News in Atlanta, Ga January 2009: A women was car jacked and robbed in an affluent Atlanta neighborhood. The police later recovered her car with a note left from the assailant. He apologized for robbing her and stated that he had no choice; he had to feed his children. I also think it would affect our nations businesses. Would the cost of food, college, day care and everyday necessities significantly increase because employers are spending more money to run their business?
Overall I think it’s a great idea, but just because it’s a great idea does not mean that it will affect our nation as a whole, in a positive way. I think that the effect it may have would depend on who it affects directly and indirectly and what perspective it is viewed from.
1/21/09
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After watching the video, I think living wage is a very good idea. What the college is instituting is something along the lines of what President Obama wants everyone to get involved. If we can start with what we have and make that better, overall, everything can and will get better. Today, minimum wage is not enough for a family to survive. As for all the problems that would arise from raising the minimum wage, I don't think it would be so tough for people to make it on minimum wage if consumer goods prices' wouldn't have sky rocketed. I can still remember the stories my mom used to tell and even my grandmother about how much a movie cost or a coke from the store. As for the violence, I don't think it would completely eliminate all violence, but I think the opportunity would open a greater chance to decrease violence as a whole. All in all, I think it's an idea that would be worth trying out and seeing what benefits from it.
ReplyDeleteI found the video clip and attached posting to be very interesting. This is also my first time hearing about this idea and I think it could be quite effective if it were to go into effect in today's world. For those inidividuals who are willing to work, I think a living wage instead of the usual minimum wage should be implemented. I don't think it would cut down the crime rate because those people, like the man who robbed the woman in Atlanta to "feed his kids," are the people who don't want to work and make an honest living for themselves.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video on the Living-wage Movement at Agnes Scott College in Georgia I am unsure of which businesses the living wage would affect. My concern is the small business owner. Also, I may not remember much from Poli Sci but I do recall learning that the minimum (or in this case, the living) wage is directly correlated to the standard of living. Implementing a living wage will cause inflation, causing the standard of living to increase, which in turn decreases the value of the American dollar (which is already at a low). If this is the result of the living wage then why have it? This circumstance will only place the people that the movement is trying to help at the same starting place. As far as violence is concerned, I do not think that crime rates will show any improvement as a direct link to instituting a living wage. But back to my initial concern… what would implementing a living wage do to the small business? If small business owners are forced to comply, I see the living wage as a creator of competition amongst employers. Good for the employee that is sought out, but if a small-business owner has to compete for employees by offering a higher paid wage, then he will in turn be forced to hire less workers, which means that there are less jobs and more unemployment. So instead of making at least minimum wage there are no wages to earn. I think that unemployment would also be increased by the larger companies that would rather outsource work and move businesses to foreign countries with cheaper labor, than be forced to comply with paying workers a living wage.
ReplyDeleteIn the video Steve Gutherie, an English professor at ASC, says “you can’t confront the issue of a living wage without confronting the need to reexamine our priorities”. I agree with this statement and think that it is an excellent starting place. Rather than throwing money at the problem I think that teaching ourselves and others financial responsibility would be a more effective solution. If we learn how to live within our means (which I admit is nearly impossible in a consumer nation) and properly budget I think that setting a living wage would not be necessary. I do however agree with increasing the minimum wage by a reasonable percentage. Doing so in addition to fiscal responsibility, I believe, will keep the poverty threshold in check.
Here is the link to an article that hits on a few pros and cons. It’s a little dated (1999) but I think that it serves as a good starting place for debate.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=94
A living wage is a great idea. But raising minimum wage is not as easy as it sounds. There are many economic problems that raising minimum wage would enhance. Unemployment would go up because if a small business only has a certain amount of money to pay employees and if you raise minimum wage they must lay people off in order to pay their employees. So, is it better to pay many people something, or less people more? It’s a tough issue to solve and the reason why minimum wage has not been raised to the amount it should be to become a “living wage.”
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