N.Y.'s minimum wage to rise to $6.75

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=1cff3106a5d24f64

The state of New York's minimum wage is set to go up to $6.75 an hour, from $6.25 an hour, in the new year.

That extra doesn't do a lot, said Rhoda Maikels of Menands, N.Y., who works at a grocery store. But I have a job.

The increase is tied to legislation passed in 2004. Under the law, the state raised the minimum wage from $5.15 -- the current federal minimum -- to $6 last Jan. 1. Sunday the minimum wage is raised to $6.75 and Jan. 1, 2007, the minimum wage will rise to $7.15 an hour, reported the Albany (N.Y.) Times Union Saturday.
more...

CMON Congress and Bush get real... lets raise the minimum wage...Ny and California are doing it...

[SammyBlue]

1. But. . .but, what about all those small businesses that will go under

because if this!!!

I used to live in NY. $6.75 isn't even enough. Minimum wage in NYC should be no less than $12.50 an hour ($500 every week). In upstate, it should be no less than $10.00 ($400 every week).

And I am being very conservative in my estimates.

It is beyond expensive to live in NY.

[Oceansaway]

2. yeah, i know a gal who lives

in Manhattan, near Cental Park....studio apartment overlooking the park....$4,000 a month...

[pro_blue_guy]

3. Hell!

Here in Ohio the minimum wage is lower than the national minimum wage! It is $4.25 per hour! Only in Ohio...

[VegasWolf]

4. and yet they vote Repukelican? Who can figure?

[TomClash]

6. You want to take away their guns! And you hate Jesus!

And you want Gays and Lesbians to marry!

Ridiculous.

:hangover:

[Chautauqua]

15. Kansas is worse

According to the Department of Labor website; Ohio, Kansas and the Virgin Islands all have minimum wages lower than the Federal level with Kansas being down in the 3rd World level.

Virgin Islands: 4.30/4.65 (depending on size of company)
Ohio: 2.80/3.35/4.25 (depending on size of company)
Kansas: 2.65


btw: you're worse than Guam

On the other hand six states have NO minimum wage:
Arizona
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Tennessee
South Carolina

BTW: Washington State has a minimum wage of 7.35 and Oregon 7.25 and while California is at 6.75, San Francisco has it at 8.50

[bluestateguy]

5. That's what the minimum wage should have been in 1996, not 2006

And I have zero sympathy, ZERO, for whiny business people who kvetch about this paltry increase. Some people seem to think that working people make too much money in this country.

[Chautauqua]

7. Not even close.

That's what the NATIONAL minimum wage should have been in 1988 just to keep it on a par with the minimum wage in that Republican worshipped golden age of Eisenhower.

In 1957, the minimum wage was $1.00/hr and the average family earned $5,000/yr. That meant that a couple starting out could both work minimum wage jobs and have a middle class income. That's almost THREE TIMES what they'd earn today.

The minimum wage in 1996 should have been $8.72/hr and today it should be over $11.00/hr just to keep parity.

The gradual collapse of the minimum wage from what it was (a guaranteed lifestyle with a hope for family and property for anyone willing to put in an honest day's work) to the perpetual underclass hopelessness we have today is one of the root causes of the collapse of the "American Dream".

[Chautauqua]

8. On a separate note

It's interesting to note that somehow, executives in the 1950s managed to keep their companies profitable even paying their workers living wages. And those same competent executives managed to survive on a salary that was both a fraction of what they expect today but paying much more in taxes to support their government.

[ny_liberal]

9. minimum wage will rise to $7.15 next year

not all that bad

[Chautauqua]

10. No, it's VERY BAD

Unless you honestly think either:

• A family can live a decent lifestyle (buy a house in a reasonable neighborhood, get their kids in good schools, save some money so one of them can stop working for a few years when needed) on $28,600 per year
• The Minimum Wage is only there to prevent people from starving to death and the Eisenhower/Nixon administration was led by Radical Leftists.

When the Minimum Wage was set up it was meant to guarantee that any American who was willing to do an honest day's work would earn a decent living and that a two minimum wage family could get ahead so they could afford to start getting ready to start a family. Despite what the Republicans say, it was NOT meant to provide a low-wage banana republic style class of serfs to serve the wealthy and their own history shows it.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

12. It's really a tough call

I mean if you start a family before you get a proper education it's much harder to get a non minamum wage job. Though the economy sucks, which really does throw a monkey wrench into all of it, people should strongly consider their financial situation before buying a house and starting a family.

The minamum wage actually goes up a bit more in NYC than it does in the actual country for said reason. In the actual state of new york, renting an apartment really isn't that much. It's just the city that's a problem, and honestly, you shouldn't be in a city if you can only afford a minamum wage job. It's expensive as all hell there...food, products, even shoddy apartments.

What I wanna know is why we're fighting invisible men in iraq when the billions pledged could make the minamum wage go up to 15 dollars per hour. My sentiments are: for a screwed economy 7.15 is good. But it should be better...which is bush's fault.

[Chautauqua]

13. Actually

You didn't make any statements that don't support raising the minimum wage to where it should be.

As for cities, you should be able to live anywhere on a minimum wage job. Cities don't inherently need to have a higher cost of living and cities require workers and workers require being able to live near work.

As for tying the minimum wage to there being a "good economy", that is flat out backwards. What stimulates an economy is a surplus of consuming power not production power and when the economy is bad, increasing the money going to the bottom is what bails things out. That's what Roosevelt did to turn around the depression, that's what Clinton did to give us the boom in the 90s (Clinton won on Bush I's miserable economy and the mantra of "It's the Economy, Stupid" - it isn't a coincidence that economies boom under Democrats and tank under Republicans) and that's what Reagan and Bushs I and II didn't do that caused their economic collapses.

Economies thrive when lots of people can buy things. They falter when production outstrips the ability for consumers to consume. Raise the minimum wage to $11/hr and you'll see the biggest economic boom in 50 years. Yes, their will likely be inflation but nowhere near enough to swallow up the boom itself.

Put simply, you've been listening to what the Republicans spout to justify their "take from the poor and give to the campaign contributors" talking point. They don't know how to run an economy. We do.

[Bill McBlueState]

18. excellent posts!

And welcome to DU.

[Chautauqua]

23. Thanks

Now if we could only get either party to go as far left as Eisenhower...

[jmm]

21. Living outside of big cities has it's own expenses.

I can't really speak for New York but I live in the Boston area. Someone would need atleast twice the current minimum wage to support themself here but even then they'd be living paycheck to paycheck and would never be able to save. Sure one could move away from the city area and find cheaper rent but then you'd most likely have to spend more time commuting which would limit job possibilities and you'd probably need the added expense of a car.

Also, even when someone can afford an education, that doesn't ensure financial success. Job markets often change and as new skills become desired people often find themselves making less and less as the years pass.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

11. Actually

Those figures are wrong. From the actual government NY site it's meant to go from 6.75 to 7.15 in january. Either that or someone is just playing a silly little game with people who make minamum wage to see if they know what it will really be...

[Chautauqua]

14. OK. Here are the numbers

From the New York State Department of Labor website

Food Service Workers Receiving Tips
2004 - 3.30
2005 - 3.85
2006 - 4.35
2007 - 4.60

Other Workers
2004 - 5.15
2005 - 6.00
2006 - 6.75
2007 - 7.15

Note that these are for non-farm workers and there are other exemptions made but they apply for most employees.
New Current Rate is Bolded

[fujiyama]

16. LOL

$6.75 in NY state?

What the hell can that afford a person to do in NY? How can a person afford to get by on such a wage.

This is nuts. Meanwhile those fuckers in congress vote for "Cost of Living Adjusements" all the time.

[Chautauqua]

27. Well

$6.75 in upstate NY probably goes at least as far as $5.15 goes in most of Michigan and likely farther. It's pathetic but nobody is even close to not being pathetic.

[fujiyama]

29. Agreed that outside of the city

It will go much farther, but then again MI doesn't have any city with a cost of living nearly as outrageous as NYC.

That said, my comment about the fuckers in congress voting for COLA increases was largely targetted to those in the US House.

[Selatius]

17. I think the states should take up the issue themselves if this be the case

If the federal government will not step up to the plate, then I think it's very reasonable for states to come together and cooperate for their mutual benefit. For instance, I don't think it's a bad idea for several states to come together and try and offer their own health insurance system for their respective citizens by pooling their resources together. It's far better than waiting for the feds to do something, while health care costs skyrocket.

[stevedeshazer]

22. Mine did just that

It's $7.25 here, now indexed to inflation. Still not enough.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm

According to this, Kansas and Ohio are the only states with SUB-minimum wages.

[Chautauqua]

26. Almost

"According to this, Kansas and Ohio are the only states with SUB-minimum wages."

Plus six other states don't have any minimum at all. You care to bet that they do that on purely philosophical grounds and people don't make less that $5.15/hr in those six?

To help you make that bet easier, here's the list. Note a decided lack of states known for high wages...

Arizona
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Tennessee
South Carolina

[stevedeshazer]

31. No bet needed, i'm sure you're right about those states.

Kansas and Ohio get extra stingy points, but I don't doubt it's de facto the same for the others you mentioned.

[Chautauqua]

24. Nope.

That doesn't work. The states already have the authority to do just that. Some (blue) states pay more. Some (red) states pay less. A half dozen reject the whole concept of a minimum.

[Selatius]

28. What prevents, say, MA, CA, NY, WA from coming together to...

institute a multi-state health insurance program serving those respective residents of those states? Or are you talking about the issue of minimum wage?

[Chautauqua]

30. I was speaking about Minimum Wage

but while there's nothing to prevent states getting together on programs (that don't violate interstate commerce or other federal law) there's no liklihood of it happening especially where they'd be having to coordinate their insurance codes which are very states specific.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Selatius]

20. In many cases, the minimum wage is irrelevant, but not in all cases

Most jobs I've seen on the Mississippi coast before Katrina in the service sector started at least 6.00/hr. Usually, you could find something higher if you aren't a skilled worker, especially if there is a shortage of workers. Last summer I worked for the Imperial Palace casino inside their movie theater. It was a summer job, and it paid 6.75/hr. It was one of the best summer jobs I ever had.

Working for Disney in their college program here in Orlando, however, is a different story. They pay you under minimum wage. They put you in apartment complexes on the gov't's dime, yet they still turn around and charge you rent even though the gov't is paying the rent already, and when you do the math, you're really being paid something like 4.50/hr after they take out rent, and the funny thing is even though at face value Disney pays you 6.25/hr here in Orlando (Try living in a metropolitan area on that kind of income), they only really pay a dollar of that out of their own pocket. The rest comes from the gov't itself. An excellent way of dodging minimum wage laws and getting access to cheap, exploitable labor with no union protection.

[Chautauqua]

25. A lot of people do

And other have their pay tied to minimum wage. For example, if you pay an unskilled laborer minimum you'd better pay skilled labor more hence their pay is tied to the minimum.

The median individual wage in the US is right now is 2.95 times the minimum wage. In 1957 it was 1.84 times.
The median family income is now 5.4 minimum wages. In 1957 it was 2.5 minimum wages. (A lot of the difference is that it used to be that only 30% of households had two incomes, now it's almost 90%. Care to speculate what percentage of the 60% extra dual income households is a result of it no longer being even close to possible to live on one income?)

What would happen (adjusting for inflation) is that the median would stay roughly the same and the bottom and top would compress. That puts vastly more consumption power in the economy as money at the bottom gets spent quickly and with a high multiplier.

In effect the Republicans a right when they say "a rising tide floats all boats". What the got wrong was in thinking that rather than increase the tide, they could drain the lake and build a taller mast on their yachts. Raising the minimum wage (as a percentage of the median income) rises the tide. Not much else ever has or likely ever will with this basic economic system.

[shantipriya]

32. minimum wage

The Repugs should be made to live on the Federal minimum wage for 1 year.

[D_Master]

33. I think...

the term "minimum wage" is a joke anymore. I mean it hasn't raised in 8 yrs. now or so. 8 yrs. ago gas was how much? How about food? Utilities? Etc. I think you get the point, I can't imagine only making 5.15, in fact I don't know any jobs around here that pay that, but I'm sure there are some. I've been working at a supermarket to help with bills during college and I'm making almost $8/hr. So I feel for anyone making this, even 6.75 isn't much.