re: Why not pass legislation that automatically raises minimum wage to inflation every 5 year?

quote:

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There will always be a segment of society that will be low-skilled workers. Some are content to be losers, some don't have the capability, and some are working their way up the 'skill ladder'. Providing minimum wage to the losers is inappropriate welfare, providing it to those without the ability is justified (compassionate) welfare, and providing it those working hard to move up is justified if they come from a background where not providing it would prove too onerous to succeed. The problem is that we lack the transparency and resolution of information to treat these groups differently.

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This sort of touches at my issue with the whole deal. You’re basically destroying the ability of people on the fringes of society to earn ANY money, on the misguided utopian idea that there should never be anyone on the fringes of society (there always will be).

See all the people begging on every street corner and living under every urban interstate? They aren’t functional in a 40 hour a week job that they have to show up to every day and that would ever justify a “living wage” that could support a family of four. There’s always been people like that. There always will be. However, absent exorbitant wage and employment laws, they used to be able to do odd jobs that could keep them basically fed and sustained and enough to let them lay their heads in a flop house every night.

All we are doing now is pushing more and more people on the fringe into utter despair. It’s folly.