If you’ve read this week’s cover story on Portland’s nascent minimum wage debate, you know there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the $15 wage activists are pushing. And you also know Seattle’s wading through many of those questions as it takes concrete steps toward raising its own minimum wage (probably to $15).
That’s both very useful and kind of disappointing. Useful because Seattle’s a smart city, and it’s nice that these fraught concepts are being met with research and a lot of discussion up there. It would only make our own conversations about raising the minimum wage easier in the long run. Disappointing because I’m sick of following Seattle, which I guess is just some weird civic insecurity.
Our sister paper, The Stranger, has been all over Seattle’s discussion, and if you’re curious about how it’s going, check out this coverage of an all day wage symposium yesterday. Or this treatise from some one-percenters who are pushing a $15 wage. Or this.
And here’s a study [pdf], prepared for the Seattle discussion by University of California, Berkeley, researchers about what effects heightening a city’s minimum wage can have. As we reported in the story, consensus among economists is that employment is barely hampered—if it’s hampered at all—by minimum wage increases. But with a big step up to $15, no one’s really sure.
Wages go up -> prices go up
Wait until a gallon of milk is $8-10
Better to increase spending on social services
Did you even read any of the links? Prices are barely affected.
If that’s true guspasho, then let’s make it $50 an hour. Why be so cheap? How does your logic add up now?
So did that Berkeley study examine the effects of a minimum wage that is more than double what it currently is? Or, for that matter, did it factor in the inevitable (and only fair) wage increase that would have to happen all the way the chain for every long-term employee that is already earning 15 dollars an hour?
And surely the Portland Mercury and the Seattle Stranger willingly pay all of their employees and contributors the equivalent salary of 15 dollars an hour, right? Anything less would make you giant hypocrites.
I like that there’s an Andy From Beaverton parody commenter now. And then there’s Spindles, who’s always gonna be Spindles.
Oh yes, let’s debate using straw men that in no way resemble the actual proposal. That’s a perfectly sound way to reach an informed conclusion. Makes total sense.
Rich, don’t worry it’s still me. The moderators here won’t let me post in under my original avatar anymore.
Then you probably shouldn’t be posting at all. Most people don’t appreciate when banned users try to circumvent the ban by creating another account.