This week, Bernie Sanders plans to reintroduce a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. If Bernie Sanders runs for President in 2020, this would be a key issue to fight for. However, this is expected to die in Congress. It was introduced in 2015 and again in 2017 but was stalled both times. Minimum wage has not been raised since 2009, when it was changed to $7.25. 29 states and Washington D.C. have since adopted higher wages. Raising the minimum wage would have benefits such as boosting the economy, encourage people to stay at their jobs instead of seeking higher-paying jobs, less workers would have to rely on government programs. By raising the minimum wage, there would also be some issues. If the minimum wage was raised to $15, it is expected that two million employees would be laid off, it could encourage more people to drop out of high school since they would be making a higher rate, and increase the price of items because of higher labor costs.
Do you think that it would be fair to have the minimum wage raised to $15? Should the federal government have this power or should it be left up to the individual states to decide what the minimum wage should be? Do you think that jobs that are currently over minimum wage should be raised to $15 or should they be raised higher?
45 Comments
Jesse B.
1/20/2019 01:13:24 pm
It is well known that living on a minimum wage salary is difficult, especially in larger cities. There does need to be an increase in the minimum wage because expenses have gone up, but the hike from $7.25 to $15 would be too much for this country to handle. I propose a more reasonable increase to around $8.25 and to have restaurant staff earn regular minimum wage instead of a lesser amount with tips. The main reason it would be a bad idea to have a $15 minimum wage would be that the amount of minimum wage workers would decrease. Not only would this add to the unemployment since businesses could not afford as many workers, but there would not be enough these workers to supply the demand of the public, such as with fast food restaurants. In addition, companies tend to automate when minimum wage goes up. An example of this is how in the current automobile industry most workers in factories are robots because assembly line jobs have a high minimum wage. In conclusion, a minimum wage of $15 is a terrible idea because businesses could not handle as many workers, it would increase the unemployment, and human jobs would be taken by robots.
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Brooke
1/20/2019 05:25:22 pm
We do not want our jobs taken by robots, yes. If minimum wage was increased to 15 dollars, ultimately it would demolish the business economy since it cannot supply all it is giving. Now, a more reasonable amount like the one you proposed would be the best option for everyone. Let's do that.
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Sariah
1/20/2019 05:41:18 pm
I thought it was interesting how you brought up people in larger cities and then trying to survive on minimum wage. How do you feel about the states determining minimum wage? Or maybe even the cities? Do you think that would be a better idea so then they could survive on their minimum wage? I wonder how it would affect the economy as a whole.
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Brooke
1/20/2019 05:21:52 pm
If we wish to destroy the economy, then by all means increase the minimum wage to 15. Such a drastic change is far too radical to undergo in such a small time period. I believe it would cause more problems that it would solve--but it would solve big problems for certain individuals. If it were a smaller increase, such as going up to nearly nine dollars, I could get behind that. If we let each state choose their minimum wage, it would make people think twice before moving, meaning the population/economy would fluctuate depending on the paid amount. That option could have potential, but for now I think the country as a whole should stick to one price if we are to raise it, in order to make the transition easier at first. As time passes, perhaps changes could be made to better fit the lifestyles in certain places.
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Sariah
1/20/2019 05:37:19 pm
I like how you are looking at the positives and negatives and which group of people it would affect and how many. This should be a big part of the decision process for Congress when looking at this idea. Its sad how a lot of our countries decisions has to do with money and not the people. We look a lot on how we much money we will gain or lose as a whole when the focus should be how it affects the people.
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Conrad
1/20/2019 07:55:05 pm
The major increase in wage will create the same increase in living costs, we have the best solution right now.
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Jesse B.
1/20/2019 08:00:02 pm
I really like your introduction and your ideas. A jump from $7.25 to $15, in our day and age, is too drastic of a change. If the states did control the minimum wage, they would be able to gage their economy in a more reasonable fashion. States like California and New York would have higher minimum wages than places like Idaho because their cost of living is much higher than it is here. If you were to look at our economy in Idaho, what would the minimum wage be?
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Sariah
1/20/2019 05:31:46 pm
I think that minimum wage is an issue that needs to be addressed. For how expensive everything is, especially living cost going up $7.25 is difficult to live by. However I do believe (as United States citizens) most of us in the country are spoiled. I think Americans waste more then needed and also buy more then needed. We are a materialistic country and this leads to us thinking we “need” more money. But even buying what is necessary a lot of families cannot survive in our economy with only $7.25 as pay. Therefore I would encourage the minimum wage to be raised but not as drastically as Bernie Sanders is thinking. A jump from $7.25 to $15 is a huge one and is too drastic.
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Brooke
1/20/2019 06:47:38 pm
We are rather spoiled, true. Our view upon necessities for living here are entirely different from those living in another country. That being said, out economy is built upon expense which everyone has to contribute in order to live. I'm wondering, though, if we raise minimum wage, will the economy adapt and increase the cost of everything else, too?
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Mckinlee
1/20/2019 07:04:57 pm
Americans are most definitely one of the most spoiled people. If we did raise minimum wage, what do you think would be appropriate?
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Bailey
1/20/2019 07:05:56 pm
I agree with you. American citizens are a materialistic peoples, and that we have come to rely on that. I think the minimum wage should be raised, but not to $15.
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Katarina
1/20/2019 07:10:07 pm
I agree. People that are low income and rely on the government sometimes have more wants than needs. Some of these people thinking they can’t survive have nicer phones than middle class families and can afford other luxuries such as alcohol and tobacco.
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Kelsey
1/20/2019 07:13:44 pm
We are a very materialistic country, but only the people that can afford it are. People who can not afford food or housing, or ordinary living expenses do not have any money to spend on unneeded items. If we raised the minimum wage, there would be more people spending money which economically is a good thing, but for the environment, not so much...
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Kenna
1/20/2019 07:15:00 pm
Such a drastic change cannot be good. Raising it little by little seems like the better option. Raising it a little would give the economy time to adjust.
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Saylor
1/20/2019 07:16:12 pm
That's a very good point, we do need to make enough money to survive. There is a wide variety in our country from being too poor to pay for groceries, or having so much money they have an unnecessary amount of cars. Which makes it a hard decision to make our entire country have too much money that we dont understand the factors of wanting or needing. If the minimum wage was raised I believe it should only be raised to maybe eight dollars, if it was raised any higher we would become too spoiled.
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Challis
1/20/2019 07:33:34 pm
Increasing the minimum wage to twice as much as it was could definitely make some issues. We are definitely a spoiled country as you said. What do you think people could stop spending so much money on in order to save?
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Mckinlee
1/20/2019 07:03:53 pm
I don’t believe minimum wage should be raised to $15, but I do think it should be raised. Minimum wage as it is isn’t enough for people to live on. But yeah 15 is too much, raising in small increments is better.
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Katarina
1/20/2019 07:07:38 pm
I don’t think raising it some would hurt. But depending on the state and the cost of living should factor what minimum wage is.
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Kelsey
1/20/2019 07:09:44 pm
What size of increment do you think would be most beneficial - like $1? Also, do you think more people would be motivated to become educated by this raise in wages, or less motivated?
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Keena
1/20/2019 07:18:16 pm
It should definitely be raised. People can't live on $7.25 an hour. It is not enough to live on. Raising it to $15 dollars and hour would too drastic though.
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Kelsey
1/20/2019 07:05:13 pm
I think the minimum wage should definitely be raised to $15 an hour. $7.25 is not enough to live on by oneself, let alone supporting a family. Our minimum wage has not been raised since 2009! That is ridiculous. The cost of living has increased a great amount in the past 10 years. Yes, is could possibly cause some economical problems, but I think our country as a whole is suffering more with the current minimum wage rate than it would be if it were raised. There are millions of Americans living off of government programs - this is not efficient. Increasing the minimum wage would also add more people to the middle class than the lower class which is needed. In addition, Canada has a $15 minimum wage and their economy is booming. If the majority of the country feels this move is too risky, than as an alternate option we should steadily increase the minimum wage every year until it reaches $15. It has to be increased for our country to continue progressing and to get folks off of government aid programs.
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Bailey
1/20/2019 07:10:48 pm
You bring up a good point. Canada has a blossoming economy, and almost everyone seems to be financially well off, unlike many Americans who are working minimum wage.
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Mckinlee
1/20/2019 07:12:08 pm
Do you think that immediately raising it to $15 will be far too harmful? Maybe a steady increase to $15 would be better all around. I do get what you mean though, it’s practically impossible for some families to live off the minimum and many even work multiple jobs.
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Jazz
1/20/2019 07:39:23 pm
I agree that the current minimum wage isn’t working out for anyone. Inflation is rising while the minimum wage is not and it’s not enough for anyone to actually live a good life. How do you think the price increase would affect areas like Salmon? Could any of the small businesses handle the jump?
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Jesse B.
1/20/2019 07:54:15 pm
How would this get more people off government aid programs when more people would be unemployed? Also, you bring up how Canada has a $15 minimum wage and they have a growing economy, but have you taken in how different our economies are? For example, Canada has a $1.653 trillion GDP and the USA GDP.... $19.39 trillion. I do agree that there should be an increased minimum wage, but not to $15.00.
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Sadie
1/20/2019 07:57:49 pm
Over the past ten years, there has definitely been inflation and a rise in the cost of living, but $15 seems like it's a long way in the future. I dont believe it would help our economy right now. There are too many businesses that just can't afford it.
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Conrad
1/20/2019 07:59:24 pm
This will increase the cost of everything and likely throw our economy for a loop. There is plenty of opportunity for raises, not everyone should be making 15 dollars an hour starting off.
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Conrad
1/20/2019 08:00:14 pm
Will also greatly increase the number of people on government aid because of the 2 million lost jobs.
Katarina
1/20/2019 07:06:26 pm
I don’t think te minimum wage should be $15 an hour. If you are working at a minimum wage job then you probably don’t have the experience or knowledge that comes with earning more money. Not to mention that item costs would increase so much more due to the employer paying more. I think it should be a state decision not federal. Some states may need it or it could harm other states worse than some.
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Rachel
1/20/2019 07:21:36 pm
Should it be raised at all? Also, how do you decide which states need a higher wage and which do not? There are much higher costs of living in various states, should it depend on that?
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Sadie
1/20/2019 07:53:27 pm
Yeah. If you want to earn more money, get an education. Put the effort in and you'll eventually get there.
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Saylor
1/20/2019 10:40:19 pm
I agree, it depends on where you are. If one needs more money it's not hard to go to college and earn a degree.
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Bailey
1/20/2019 07:08:42 pm
I believe that raising minimum wage across the country to $15 would do more harm than good. I think a reasonable minimum wage would be $8-10. It would offer people a more reliable source of income. I know that working a full-time $7.25 and hour job, most people cannot afford to live. Especially with children. Raising the minimum wage by a couple dollars would allow for that extra boost in income which would allow people to be able to live without stressing over whether or not they’ll be able to meet next month’s house payment, and also be able to buy food for their kids.
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Challis luker
1/20/2019 07:28:47 pm
8-10 seems like a perfectly fair price. Especially in Idaho where it is not terribly expensive to live. What do you think about states like California though, where it is generally a lot more expensive to live?
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Saylor
1/20/2019 07:10:22 pm
Raising minimum wage should not be up to the federal government because some states cannot afford to pay their employees that much money. In idaho if it was raised almost all of our small businesses would go out because they would be losing more money than they would be making. Small towns like salmon do not have as much business as a big cities so it would not work out. The states can have the right to change their minimum wage if the whole state can afford it. If minimum wage was so high, the risks of highschool drop outs does raise because we would be making as much as any job where we don't need an education and still be able to pay for everything.
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Kenna
1/20/2019 07:10:55 pm
I would love a higher paying job. However, I believe prices would rise drastically if minimum wage is increased to fifteen dollars. In places with a higher minimum wage their prices are higher. Smaller incriminates would be better, raise it little by littble. It should definitely be raised though, because 7.25 is not enough to live on.
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Rachel
1/20/2019 07:19:27 pm
I agree that raising it little by little would be a much smarter idea. When do you think we should start and by how much each time? Also, how high should it go?
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Rachel
1/20/2019 07:18:21 pm
The United States has definitely changed economically speaking since 2009. It is impossible for someone to live on only a minimum wage, and that is something that should be changed. I think that Bernie's idea is too drastic of a change, $7.25 to $15 would be too much of an economic shock. A minimum wage of $11 or $12 would be very reasonable. This would be little enough to still encourage people to seek a higher education, but enough to allow people to survive on only that if needed.
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Katherine
1/20/2019 08:07:42 pm
I agree that a change that wouldn’t be as drastic would be acceptable. It would still motivate people to pursue a higher education and an better career
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Challis
1/20/2019 07:21:30 pm
Minimum wage being raised sounds like a good thing but if minimum wage goes up too high so does the price of living. Would the ratio between money made and living expenses even change? Maybe it could do with making it a little bit higher but raising it too high seems like it would cause more harm than good.
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Jazz
1/20/2019 07:44:53 pm
I like that you mentioned the ratio between income and housing expenses because matters more than the actual minimum wage. The most important matter is if people are earning enough to stay off the streets and eat properly.
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Jazz
1/20/2019 07:37:03 pm
Such a large jump in such a short amount of time is not smart at all. Raising the minimum wage wouldn’t even be possible for some smaller businesses. Minimum wage should be decided statewide rather than nation wide, because there are some states that simply can’t afford it. A smaller price increase between 8-10 dollars would probably be doable nationwide, but $15 is just pushing it way too far. $7.25 isn’t enough for anyone to live off of without worrying that they might not make it to the next paycheck, but raising the minimum wage so much just wouldn’t be possible for some states as a whole.
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Katherine
1/20/2019 08:06:18 pm
I agree that it wouldn’t be doable by all the states. It wouldn’t even be doable for all of the businesses. It’s incredibly hard to prepare for a large jump like that
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Conrad
1/20/2019 07:46:18 pm
Raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour is a terrible idea for America as a whole. As said, it will reduce the number of workers by almost 2 million. Would you rather have 2 million lower paying jobs or lose 2 million jobs to robots and other means? This would also greatly increase taxes on those who do work to pay for those who can't, which no-one deserves. Now I agree that 7.25 is not enough to live on, 10 could be a reasonable compromise. It should definitely be a state decision as well.
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Sadie
1/20/2019 07:51:33 pm
Jumping to $15 is way too drastic. The price for US products would go way higher than it already is. For now, the federal should be able to set the minimum wage to at most $8. The states can set it higher as needed. Some places have a higher standard of living and people can afford it. All the minimum wage paying jobs are mostly for people who are still trying to get an education. If you get the schooling, you'll get your money.
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