Question for Minimum Wagers

[keith123]

1. the labor market is very very different from the water market. you can quote this one and ask me to explain this to you, but i think it would take me a while to explain it to someone who actually wanted to learn, and it would take forever to explain it to someone who just wants to get the last word in. so by all means go ahead and respond to this one, and consider yourself the victor when i do not respond.

2. they should have to compete, but they do not. if they did compete, then the minimum wage laws would hurt the economy.

3. you really aren't sure what point i am making? you think that the fear of worse consequences = being happy with one's life.

4. companies DO determine what their employees are worth. no one else. the minimum wage increase forces companies to pay their employees MORE or fire them. only companies that think their employees are not worth the minimum wage will fire them. if too many companies fire their minimum wage employees, and unemployment rises significantly, then the minimum wage is too high.

5. the employer isn't punished. he is still able to make decisions about whether or not to hire someone at a particular salary. it is poor people who are punished if anyone, and until they start losing their jobs, which modest minimum wage hikes do not do, they will gladly accept that punishment.