More consequences of Seattle’s $15 minimum wage are becoming apparent. According to recent reports, as their wages rise, workers are asking employers for fewer hours in hopes of keeping their overall income down—they do not want to lose access to certain welfare programs for food, child care, rent, etc. Fox News,
“Full Life Care, a home nursing nonprofit, told KIRO-TV in Seattle that several workers want to work less.
“‘If they cut down their hours to stay on those subsidies because the $15 per hour minimum wage didn’t actually help get them out of poverty, all you’ve done is put a burden on the business and given false hope to a lot of people,’ said Jason Rantz, host of the Jason Rantz show on 97.3 KIRO-FM.”
Certainly, the rising wages in Seattle have done nothing to achieve its agenda: bring people out of poverty. That reality is made obvious by the fact that welfare caseloads remain unaffected. Fox News,
“Despite a booming economy throughout western Washington, the state’s welfare caseload has dropped very little since the higher wage phase began in Seattle in April. In March 130,851 people were enrolled in the Basic Food program. In April, the caseload dropped to 130,376.”
So, as a result of the $15 minimum wage, many workers are asking their employers for fewer hours in order to qualify for welfare programs. Meanwhile, as the result of the $15 minimum wage ordinance, prices across the city are increasing.
Ladies and gentlemen, the “helping hand” of liberals.
“‘If they cut down their hours to stay on those subsidies because the $15 per hour minimum wage didn’t actually help get them out of poverty, all you’ve done is put a burden on the business and given false hope to a lot of people,’
First, please inform Mr. Rantz that the minimum wage for small employers went to $10/hour on April First, up from the state minimum wage of $9.47/hour. Then, ask him if he expected dramatic change from a 53-cent raise. If he answers in the affirmative, ask him how often he stops talking, gets outside his little padded cocoon of privilege, and experiences the real world he’s always claiming to be an expert on.
Second, ask him why people who work full time need “those subsidies.” Doesn’t that mean their wages aren’t high enough?
“Despite a booming economy throughout western Washington, the state’s welfare caseload has dropped very little since the higher wage phase began in Seattle in April. In March 130,851 people were enrolled in the Basic Food program. In April, the caseload dropped to 130,376.”
News flash: people on welfare probably are not working full-time jobs. Please inform FOX NEWS of this; they seem to be having the same problems with reality as does Mr. Rantz.
Maybe their wages are not high enough because they lack useful skills or are just dumb.
You conveniently forget that Obamacare limited many lower paying jobs to 30 hours a week and employers made it 28.
Tensor – I might have read your post if the sarcasm and name-calling had not started so soon. I only got through part of the first paragraph. If you want to be taken seriously, give some real facts and also some solutions. I don’t have time to read jeering and name-calling. Thx.
I might have read your post if the sarcasm and name-calling had not started so soon.
What names did I call?
I only got through part of the first paragraph.
Then I suggest you read the entire comment before responding. It might save you from making obvious errors, such as:
… give some real facts and also some solutions.
I corrected the post’s erroneous claim (noted by another commenter) that Seattle’s minimum wage is currently $15/hour, and I gave the correct figure. The only “solutions” needed here are for Shift and Mr. Rantz to get their facts right; I thank you for your support on that.
I don’t have time to read jeering and name-calling.
But you do have time to write a response to a comment you didn’t have time to read. Got it. (Again, please give an example of my “name-calling.”)
I did my best for you. Only one out of nineteen people take the time to say something. I told you why your post was unread. Be less caustic and you might not be skipped over as much. We want to hear another citizen’s opinion. I wrote in kindness. I was not asking for direction from you. And I certainly already know about the phase-in and all that. Best to you.
I told you why your post was unread.
No, you claimed you had read part of it.
Be less caustic and you might not be skipped over as much.
You haven’t skipped over my comments; you’ve twice responded. That you respond without reading the entirety of my first comment is your problem, not mine.
And I certainly already know about the phase-in and all that.
Then why did you write, “… give some real facts …”? The phase-in is the most important fact missing from the original post, and it was the first point I addressed in my original comment. Did you really write a response to my comment without reading all the way to the end of my very first sentence?!?
I did my best for you.
Well, you didn’t read my entire comment, you missed entirely the facts I cited, and you repeatedly accused me of name-calling, without once quoting me actually calling anyone any name. If that’s your “best,” one can only wonder what your “worst” might entail.
Peace, my friend.
Still no examples of name-calling. Quelle surprise.
U liberal Hamster.
Uh-oh, MrUpsetter is now going to have to give you a great big long lecture on civility!
Peace, my friend.
Sea Tac is at 15 not Seattle
Ladies and Gentlemen Conservative Facts lol.
People are complaining about rent in Seattle. The city votes to raise the minimum wage and rent spikes up. HMMMMM. More like DAAAAAAAA! Seattle has very high regulations and taxes stacked on top of King County HIGH taxes and regulations. HELLO!!! DUUUUU again!
When the government take a crap load of the taxpayers money, guess what! EVERYTING will cost you more because the government has and is wasting more of your money. Not rocket science except for the pea-brains playing with tinker toys.
The city votes to raise the minimum wage and rent spikes up. HMMMMM. More like DAAAAAAAA!
Rents rose dramatically in 2012 and 2013. Seattle voted to raise the minimum wage in 2014; the first increase happened in 2015.
When the government take a crap load of the taxpayers money, guess what! EVERYTING will cost you more…
It appears even the price of a capital letter “H” has exceeded what some of us can afford. 🙂
“… the state’s welfare caseload has dropped very little since the higher wage phase began in Seattle in April. In March 130,851 people were enrolled in the Basic Food program. In April, the caseload dropped to 130,376.”
So, a small increase in Seattle’s minimum wage (53 cents an hour for an employee of a small business, $1.53/hour for an employee of a large business like McDonald’s) was immediately followed by a small decrease in the entire state’s welfare caseload. Rather than conclude Seattle’s higher minimum wage might actually be reducing poverty in our state, Shift claims the exact polar opposite as fact!
Ladies and gentlemen, the “logic” of conservatives.
When people know that everything in the future will cost more with forced higher wages and regulations that force higher costs, what do you expect businesses will do but raise their fees and prices.
I just purchased a box of light bulbs and found out King County place an almost 10% tax on it on top of the almost 10% sales tax. Are we businesses and property owners suppose to just suck it up for all the other people. Don’t they teach this simple stuff in College or are they too busy teaching Fascism and Marxism. Sorry I answered my own question.
Perhaps your light bulbs cost more due to a charge applied at point of sale to keep toxic mercury from getting into our enviroment. Please see link below.
http://www.krem.com/story/news/local/spokane-county/2015/01/02/25-cents-fluorescent-bulbs-recycling-program/21217861/
Now you don’t have to pay when you dispose of CFLs, you already paid up front! Just like Oregon keeps bottles out of landfills with a bottle deposit (with all the beer I drink, I wish we had that here). Just make sure they get to a place to recycle them and please, don’t just drop them in the trash. Let’s keep our enviroment clean for future generations!
Keep raising it, weed out the middle class, get rid of your tax source, that’s real smart. All these progressive tech hamsters want is to live in there eco chambers without windows to the real world. A$$Clowns!