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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Should We Raise the $7.25/ Hr Minimum Wage in Pa and Federally?

Over the weekend, Presidential candidate Donald Trump paid a brief visit to a McDonalds here in Pa., handing out fries to preselected customers. Being surrounded by all that fast food must have put him in a good mood because he even wished Kamala Harris a Happy Birthday and said he wouldn't mind doing it again. But he ducked a question on whether he'd support an incrase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15. 

Harris has called for an increase. ""The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which means that the person who is working a full day and full weeks will make $15,000 a year, which is essentially poverty wages," she said at a campaign stop in Michigan.

Republicans and Trump want to brand themselves as standing up for the forgotten working class. But it is actually Republicans who have opposed attempted increases while Democrats trip over themselves searching for the right pronouns to use.  

Isn't it time to raise the $7.25 minimum wage? It's been in place for 15 years. 

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely. Of course your pal Iannelli and the other corporate shills will say, you are interfering in commerce, if people don't like it get a better job, better education. Also, they will simultaneously say that it will drive small business out of business while saying everyone is already getting paid much more. So once again republicans will win out and feckless democrats will scream and yell but that is about it. Even some of your county employees don't get $15 an hour.

Anonymous said...

This is what we have sitting in Pennsylvania at the current moment....

Senate Bill 1186
This bill would raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour on July 1, 2024. After that, the minimum wage would increase every five years based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

House of Representatives bill
This bill would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. It was passed by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate, but it's too late to pass it in 2024.

Anonymous said...

I say raise it!! Then I can ask for $30.00 and hour since I'm at $18.00 already. Flippin burgers is worth $15.00 and hour.

Anonymous said...

Market forces raised it well above $7.25 already.

Anonymous said...

Let them eat cake

Anonymous said...

It's easy for all the millionaire so called leaders of our once proud nation to demand this increase. It won't affect them.

Anonymous said...

Wawa on College Hill in Easton has an employment sign in their door advertising jobs starting at $18 per hour, part time.

Who pays minimum wage at this point?

Vladimir Ill-itch said...

It seems to me that raising the minimum wage means businesses (mostly smaller or family-run) would be more selective in whom they hire; thus, marginalizing those it's intended to help. People tend to forgot (or, more accurately aren't smart enough to understand) that places like McDonald's, Wendy's, et al, are usually franchised. McDonald's isn't paying the employees, a local small business owner is. Speaking of McDonald's, they are tough. If they introduce a new product, for example, and a special piece of equipment is needed to make it, the franchise owner pays for that (one per restaurant), not corporate. A new menu item could cost an owner six figures, easily. So, yeah, making them pay someone $20/hr hits them hard and they'd need to be quite selective.

Abolish the minimum wage and pay people what they are worth.

Anonymous said...

The real issue is Arnold Palmer’s male organ.

Anonymous said...

LOL! This was brilliant retail politics but hey let’s talk about………the minimum wage. Harris has got to be paying you Bernie.

Anonymous said...

The idea of a national minimum wage is actually ridiculous, the cost of living is far different in different parts of the country. Wages will inevitably be set by the market. I doubt that anyone is being paid $7.25 an hour. Inexperience with no skills cannot be paid a lot, and if people do have skills they can make a lot of money today. Intervention in the markets will result in more automation and a loss of job opportunities for the young and inexperienced.

How would they like that if the cost of living is high, that states minimum would be commensurate. maybe $30 ro $40 in New York and California and $10 in S. Carolina.

Of course, it is election year, and it easy to claim that you can force others to part with more of their money, especially to those very same young or inexperienced. Pandering and manipulation, rather than tell people the truth, up your value, and you will rewarded willingly.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope Trump wins Harris will be disastrous.

Anonymous said...

This headline was ripped from MSM after they melted down over this. This blog has become just another liberal media outlet. It’s a good place to get local political news like county council. Just remember how biased it is.

Anonymous said...

Nobody at McDonald’s is making minimum wage. Closing shift at the local McDonald’s here is 15 bucks an hour.

Anonymous said...

Lets ask California how it worked. I will use left leaning outlets as usual

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/07/26/california-20-minimum-wage-fast-food-impact/

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/california-restaurants-face-stark-realities-burdens-after-minimum/story?id=109741431

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/california-restaurants-cut-staff-hours-101000673.html

Anonymous said...

It seems overly simplistic to establish a FEDERAL minimum wage.

Make it Federally mandated for States to have a minimum wage system. How they decide to implement it, would be up to them.

Mississippi and California are going to have radically different ideas of what a minimum wage should be.

Anonymous said...

$7.25 is, of course, a ridiculous minimum wage for an adult. Trump wouldn’t understand how ridiculous it is. He was scooping fries in French cuffed shirt, complete with cuff-links. I like the idea that Trump staff contacted the McDonald’s franchise and no one remembered Harris. I’d be really surprised if anyone was associated with a McDonald’s franchise 40 years later. It would seem very unlikely that records from 40 years ago would exist, or that the franchise owner from years ago would even be alive. While I don’t think a nationwide minimum wage should exist I do think Pennsylvania should be ashamed that an entry level job wage should be able to be so low.

Anonymous said...

Republicans want the poor to stay poor and are going to take away social security so that the elderly lose their homes.

This is the redundant message delivered by American Marxist posing as American Democrats every election cycle.

Same sh#t every four years.

Anonymous said...

You mean she'll let almost 1 million Americans die from a pandemic and go golfing? She'll buddy up with dictators and salute their general's? She'll lead by tweets? She'll destroy the world's leading economy? She'll round up US tax paying citizens and attempt to deport them? You MAGATS are despicable!

JoshLCowen said...

Federal minimum wage is just a silly concept. Should someone in Appalachia make the same hourly wage as someone living in NYC?

Bernie O'Hare said...

8:17, Actually, the studies (not left-leaning news accounts) are mixed. If you really did any true google search, you would see that. Here's what I got in 2 seconds. https://www.bing.com/search?q=minimum%20wage%20studies&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=minimum%20wage%20studies&sc=10-20&sk=&cvid=E76B2C413EA74E20A83EF4831543B46C&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=

Anonymous said...

Take a look around. Automated kiosks are here to stay, reducing needd labor at some of these establishments. In addition, as experienced in NJ, when the rate went up 1.00/hour every year, new hires received the new wage. BUT the established workers will also receive the wage. If you don't think so, think again. No employee is going to allow new hires to approach older employee wages. Not by 1 penny. So, small business need to be aware of that. Between NJ tax and spend , many MANY manufacturers left NJ. And now NJ wants them back..... lol. but the red tape to certify for any incentives negates all of this. NJ (and NY) are the CA's of the east.

Anonymous said...

Key phrase "minimum wage for an ADULT". These jobs were never meant for "ADULTS", they were entry level for students and younsters. It was a step into the work force, meant to be a SMALL step, not permanent!!

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I googled "california restaurants closing due to minimum wage" Forbes is on the first page. These also followed. Is Google lying to me? I google fake news?

Rubio's California Grill: Closed 48 of its nearly 134 locations in May, citing the "rising cost of doing business" in California. The company filed for bankruptcy in June.
Shake Shack: Closed six California locations.

Bernie O'Hare said...

11:14, Yeah, you googled news articles as opposed to actual studies, which I have said are mixed. Then you picked and chose to confirm a pre-existing bias.

Anonymous said...

Federally? Ridiculous, especially coming from an entity that has put itself $35 trillion in debt, with no end in sight.

Statewide? No, unless an entity that can't pass budgets on time avers that there's no difference in costs of living between Philadelphia County and Carbon County. Companies don't pay increased wages. Consumers do. Companies don't pay increased taxes and fees. Consumers do.

Let markets decide. They're remarkably reactive to realities on the ground, where even kids are making a lot better than $7.25 in fast food starter jobs. Just look at neighborhoods that were torched and looted in the last few years. Goods were put behind bars and glass. Where bars and glass failed, stores simply closed and left.

Anonymous said...

So they're less of a human Josh? You need to get rid of your red hat, you're not getting enough oxygen to the brain.

Anonymous said...

Thank the SCAMDEMIC!! That was done by design.

Anonymous said...

If you’re going to use California for any example you’re going to lose the argument. Top 10 in almost every category of bad government. Highest poverty rate in the country. Horrific fiscal problems despite some of the highest taxes. Over reach and over regulation doesn’t work. Neither does under regulation of course. The answer is somewhere in the middle. California is a perfect example of how to ruin paradise lol.

Anonymous said...

I’m going to give you an example of why the low minimum wage has been good for my family. I’m the parent of a special needs kid. She works part time in what is a traditionally low wage occupation. She can complete tasks but needs supervision. She makes minimum wage. She loves going to work and it gives her a sense of purpose and dignity. Her fellow employees all make in the 16 to 17 range an hour. Not sure the owner would be willing to pay her that for what she does. I’ve always been a proponent of raising the minimum wage, and my conservative friends would say the markets should drive it. Right now the market seems to have set the minimum around 15 an hour I guess. Maybe they’re right I don’t know, 7.25 seems ridiculously low, but it’s fine for my daughter. I’m glad she gets the experience she loves it.

Anonymous said...

And you're a complete economic moron.

Anonymous said...

Bless your daughter!

Anonymous said...

First bless you and your daughter. We had a special needs program in healthcare for many years that was the best program. It also taught us all about true hard work compassion and resilience. Great programs that might not be there at a higher wage

Anonymous said...

If you believe in capitalism, the market determines the wage. If the job generates value it commands a higher wage....simplest concept ever.