I have an idea about the minimum wage

[Fight_n_back]

Currently we try for one minimum wage that is rediculous in many parts of the country. (I live in San Francisco where the minimum wage should be about 10$ per hr).

Instead, what if the minimum wage was based on the wealth or size of the parent corporation. that way a Mom and Pop would have a lower minimum wage than Wal Mart. It would eliminate one of the suppossed objections (it will hurt small business, waaaa) while eliminating the subsidy we currently have for huge corporations to pay substandard wages.

Last year Wal Mart made 9 billion dollars in PROFIT. they could have given all one million of their employees a 1000 bonus and still had 3 BILLION dollars in profit.

This plan would HELP small business, give employees a choice between more money for a faceless, soulsless corpration or less money at a small business and increase the tax base since large employers would pay more.


It would also naturally curb the size of companies organically.

I like this idea, talk me out of it.

[stevans_41902]

1. sorry,

i like the idea too. i wish it would happen b/c walmart has already wiped out most of the mom and pop stores and the ones that are open have a huge burden trying to stay in business with wal mart in town. It is totally rediculous that wal mart makes so much in profit, yet they are giving millions to the republicans so they can get rid the estate tax. no amount of money is good enough for the evil walton family.

[IMOK_UROK2]

7. Repuglicians

Wow, I didn't know if I believed you on that comment about donations to the Repub party... Then I did a search. They gave what would be a token amount to the Democrats when compaired to the Republican party. Of course they also give a lot of money to the Chinese for their quality Made in America Chinese imports. I have a friend that calls it Mao Mart.

[Poppyseedman]

2. Minimum wage based on company size would destroy small

business faster than Wal-Mart ever thought about doing.

The #1 factor in a small business is a stable workforce to operate profitable every month.

As soon as a position come open in a higher paying similar job at a larger company, you have spend money and time retraining someone new. That high turnover rate in a small business would be a profit killer.

Plus how does a company grow and get bigger to complete if they are constantly having to increase wages as they get bigger?

They would price themselves out of business. Wal-Mart can make up for higher wages by buying in larger quantity to maintain their edge.

BTW, I want a Bill Gates living wage!!!

[Fight_n_back]

6. I disagree

I don't think Wal Mart could exist if they had to pay a living wage, which is my point. Plus, many employees would rather work for a place where they know who the boss is and can develop a real relationship with them.

The #1 factor in a small business is where they are. There is a population size/business size ratio that is the largest indicator of small business success. This plan would not dent small business at all. It would just make it far less profitable to be huge.

Most people do not have money as their primary motivation in a job. If they did then we would all be hookers or crack dealers. People want a job that helps them have a nice life without getting in their way. It is precisely that effect which gives the avaricous the oppourtunity to take advantage of labor.

Imagine if corporate taxes were returned to workers as wages rather than spent on the war machine. Think of it that way instead of a minum wage. It would be like what MLB has in the way of a luxury tax.

It could also be linked to the pay of a CEO.

[Poppyseedman]

9. The only problem is Wal-Mart does exist.

We are in reality here.

If a stocker at my store gets paid $7.00 hr and the Wal-Mart across town pays $9.00 a hr. My stocker has a friend who works at Wal-Mart and is making $360.00 more a month. My stocker will be gone ASAP a position opens up. That costs me money and whatever slim profits I am making. Wal-Mart just gained an experienced employee I PAID FOR AND INVESTED IN

I do that enough times and Wal-Mart gets a better trained workforce and I get a constant stream of new hires and get to train them for better paying companies.

Sorry, I think I'd close up shop and go work for Wal-Mart I least I get to see all the people I trained for them.


Imagine if corporate taxes were returned to workers as wages rather than spent on the war machine.

I hate to sound like a rethug, but companies don't pay corporate taxes. That cost is passed on to the consumer If corporate taxes were eliminated, prices would go down, wages would be unchanged.

[jayctravis]

3. Perhaps base minimum wage on housing costs?

The average rental price for a 1 bedroom apartment in a region...perhaps double the monthly cost of that?

[Cleita]

4. Well, minumum wage is supposed to pay for basic

needs so depending on the cost of living in various parts of the country, one size doesn't fit all as you have observed.

I don't know what you would measure it against, maybe the median cost of renting a one bedroom, one bath apartment. I think national health care would take a big burden off of the mom and pops as well as the big corporations.

[IMOK_UROK2]

5. I don't understand your quote below but...

"(it will hurt small business, waaaa)"

I operate a very small "mom and pop" business and the high min wage can be a profit killer for me. Makes it hard to get a foot hold and grow. I've had to let people go and do more of the work myself just to stay afloat. There may be a way to base the min wage on business size, but it would be a bit complicated figuring out the transitional points where the wages would increase.

[Fight_n_back]

8. That quote

was because the people who make that complaint have no interest in small business and enact policies that destroy small business. I would bet that if the government paid for health care that you would be able to make a much better go of it, regardless of the minimum wage.

[AlCzervik]

10. Then all the corporations would hide even more of their money crying poor

mouth but in principle i think it's a good idea.

[Poppyseedman]

11. Do you realize that if in fact Wal-Mart gave a million employees

a $1,000 bonus, 39% of that would be taken for taxes???

2.4 billion would be added to the government tax revenue to fuel the war machine

That's right, all bonuses are paid at the highest taxable rate regardless of your current tax bracket

[thinkingwoman]

12. as a former small biz owner

I love this idea!

[UdoKier]

13. You neglect to mention that the minimum wage in SF is $8.50

It's not much, but it is significantly better than $5.15...


And I think your idea is a good one.