Re x3: $15

New Ipswich NH

Description

The responder claims that it's a 'funny argument' that a mandatory $15 per hour wage is either not an artificial cost or somehow doesn't impact the business. In restaurants, you pay your check and then are confronted with an almost mandatory tip. The key word is "almost". You can tip, or not, based on the service. You pay the check because you agreed to pay the menu prices when you ordered. One has nothing to do with the other. The proponents of the $15 wage only see it from the employee's side. They claim that it's not a living wage and the responder said that it's not a decent wage. Of course, it's not meant to be a decent wage or a living wage. It's supposed to be for entry level jobs. It really impacts employees that want to make a career out of an entry level job. We could, as the responder suggests, eliminate the tip concept. Then the business would have to charge more for the meal. That would be fine. Then, in a free market economy, the consumer can decide if they want to pay the menu prices when they order. The responder fails to see that if you charge more for the meal, from either a mandated wage or by choice, the consumer will eventually stop coming because of the higher prices. As the consumer, I decide what I'm willing to pay for a meal out. It includes the food, the atmosphere, the service, etc. I've had many servers who have provided outstanding service with a smile and good attitude. They have earned whatever their employer pays and a generous tip. That is one of the things that brings people back. If you choose to make it $15 per hour... then we'll drop the tip. Then that excellent employee with the great smile and attitude is on the same level as the McDonald's employee who can't get a simple order correct. A successful employer looks at his balance sheet and income statement and determines where he can improve. If his labor costs are for 6 people at $10 per hour and the government demands that he pay $15... then the most common practice is to reduce the number of employees to keep the labor cost the same. We see it all the time. It's not just min wages... we've seen unions 'negotiate' higher wages. The union may win, in the short term, but usually what happens is that some union members get raises while other lose their jobs because a plant closes or they move that branch to another location. The total labor cost usually remains the same.