Maybe its me that doesn't get it.
- Andrew Wright
- May 13, 2016
- 3 min read
Perhaps it is me that doesn't see the economics behind increasing minimum wages to $15 an hour.
Perhaps it is me that doesn't understand how the "American Dream" is REALLY suppose to work?
Perhaps it is ME that doesn't understand the full meaning of "freedom?"
Maybe its me that doesn't get it when it comes to how the American dream involves business owners as well?
Here is my line of thinking, and we can see if it is far off or not.
I can see why some folks would be screaming about income equality, but lets be real folks. $15 an hour MINIMUM wage? Does that not seem out of control to anyone else? Surely cost of inflation can be an argument, but to double the minimum wage? This question might sting, but do we deserve that?
Then let's look at the other side here. Business owners making those "millions of dollars they can afford to give back to employees." Yes, that is true. They could afford it, but if you were that million dollar man that worked his tail off night and day - made the deals happen by whatever way through hard work, dedication or just practicing the art of a deal - you deserve it. No matter what you believe - a person that makes minimum wage does not YET have the skill level to be able to accumlate what those business owners have accumulated.
So my point? It's not your place to say - "you owe me" - they don't owe you anything. They gavey ou an opportunity. This isnt wealth sharing, folks. THEY accumlated the wealth - THEY worked hard to get where they are - THEY took advantage of free market capitalism.
Wait - what did I just do?
OHHHH! I described the AMERICAN DREAM? I described the LAND OF OPPORTUNITY? Or maybe I just dont get it? Is it me?
Something else I MAY NOT get - the rise of employment pay by doubling minimum wage is a horrible idea because - it doubles a companies expenses.
Thats right - its NOT just about paying your salary. They also have things like workers compensation (that little thing that the STATE requires, not your employer, and is based on - oh, you guessed it - PAYROLL).
So here is how that little thing works - your total payroll is assigned to a factor by the state. And if you double it - you just quadrupled the expense to HAVE you!
"oh, well they can still pay that! They are millionaires"
They could - but we live in a FREE society (again, that could be me being wrong again, right?) and ya'll are forgetting something.
TECHNOLOGY.
OUCH!
That technology you just CRAVE is going to steal your job because you feel that you can work a minimum wage job and take home $15 an hour.
Watch and learn - in the next year - waitress? HA! What are those? We have "runners" now that just take the food out. Those runners are our chefs. For bigger restaurants? Thats going to cut out about 80% of the staff.
Check in at hotels? You know there are ton of customer service there - some of the chains?
Automated. Forget the $15 an hour - they are investing in kiosk for check in and payments. Probably will be more accurate and faster without human error anyways.
How about McDonalds? You bet! Places are already doing computerized ordering - so long 80% of the work force!
Retailers? Oh you better believe it! Some towns like our small one here in PA are dependent on places like walmart, verizon, etc. Other than stocking shelves, who needs the rest of the workers there? Technology is already replacing you. Your long term future looks incredibly bleak because there are already automated lines. And to be honest - if there was a problem, there is no reason that Walmart couldnt use their laborers to do the check out jobs. Especially if there is a customer service issue. They will have plenty to choose from with all the available workers out there.
The $15 minimum wage didnt help you - it just hurt you. You just lost your jobs, folks. YOU don't understand the first thing about the American dream. You don't understand the first thing about history and how this country started. Instead, we are a selfish society throwing a little temper tantrum which is going to cause the fall of the economy and the lives of our grandchildren.
I think I do get it, but now I have to suffer because folks like me - are outnumbered by the truly ignorant ones.
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