Unemployment still at 4.5%

[Zeno]

No problem adios. Your point about skilled labor is important. I generally agree that for the most part the Federal minimum wage (started in 1938) is a feel good political football. In the article I posted market forces are naturally pushing wages up, showing that artifical mandates are not really needed -

"Many employers showed not only a greater appetite to hire in December but also more willingness to boost compensation to workers.

Workers, many of whom had seen their paychecks eaten by inflation, saw wages grow robustly last month. Average hourly earnings jumped to $17.04, a sizable 0.5 percent rise from the prior month. Analysts were forecasting a more modest, 0.3 percent increase.

Over the last 12 months, wages grew by a strong 4.2 percent. That matched the annual gain registered in November and was exceeded only by a 4.3 percent annual increase in November 2000."

Anyway, this whole minimum wage issue has been endlessly debated here and elsewhere. I have better things to do - like go skiing. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

-Zeno

[canis582]

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I can't believe all you folks in this thread defending wage slavery.

All this does is prevent walmart from using public social programs to subsidize their profits.

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I've heard it stated numerous times in this forum that Wal-Mart is actually for the minimum wage, as the higher costs of employees hurts mom and pops stores, while big businesses like Wal-Mart have the resources to absorb the wage hikes, while simultaneously snatching the market created by the closing mom and pop places.

I've never actually seen this linked to or substantiated, but if true it's interesting as well as telling.

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Thats disinformation...Sam Walton once stated that his company should be *exempt* from the minimum wage.

Wal-Mart's illegal predatory pricing practices gives them all the advantage they need over locally-owned businesses.

[canis582]

Aqui: Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton once argued that his company should be exempt from the minimum wage, and took advantage of an exception in the minimum wage law that, at the time, excluded small businesses from having to pay the minimum wage. While the federal minimum wage in 1962 was $1.50 an hour, Walton regularly paid his employees only 50 to 70 cents per hour.[1] Former managers have reported that they were judged by upper management based on their ability to keep payroll costs low, and that they sometimes pressured more senior, higher-paid employees, in the hopes that they would quit. [2]
In a move some say to appeal to critics of Wal-Mart's hourly wages practices, CEO Lee Scott has advocated a federally-mandated raise in the minimum wage. [3]

[tolbiny]

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Thats disinformation...Sam Walton once stated that his company should be *exempt* from the minimum wage.

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I know i shouldn't bother, but. SAm Walton has been dead from 15 years. Wal Mart is now being run by people other than Sam Walton.

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Wal-Mart's illegal predatory pricing practices gives them all the advantage they need over locally-owned businesses.

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Predatory pricing is the biggest joke.
Wahhhhh- they have lower prices so everyone shops there, its not fair!

[cdutilb]

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I know i shouldn't bother, but. SAm Walton has been dead from 15 years. Wal Mart is now being run by people other than Sam Walton.

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This is why Canis is my favorite poster. The actually facts mean nothing to Canis...

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Wal-Mart backs hike to minimum wage

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. affirmed its support for an increase in the federal minimum wage after its chief lobbyist in Washington was quoted Wednesday as saying the nation's largest employer was neutral on the issue.

Chief Executive Lee Scott, who made headlines last October when he first backed an increase in the $5.15 hourly pay rate, said Wednesday he still supports a raise.

"There are a number of proposals before Congress. Though we do not intend to take a position on any single piece of legislation, we believe Congress should increase the minimum wage," Scott said in a statement.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13600024/

[TomCollins]

But your source is from the coprorate media!!!! Keep being indoctrinated!

[Bicycles_Biatch]

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What you are missing is that there are a larger number of people with wages tied to minimum wage (e.g. unions). They might not make minimum wage, but they might make 3x minimum wage, or $10 + minimum wage and so on.

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This is key... and an increase to minimum wage means an increase to the mean wage.