25 Responses

1. I’m a Democrat, but $15 an hour for minimum wage is insane. Most companies pay adult workers more than the min wage, especially in jobs that are supposed to be family sustaining– like factory work. But people getting paid $15 an hour for McDonalds work? Insane.

2. $15 seems a bit high. I’m curious to know why McGinty was calling for just $9 two years ago when running for Gov. Oh that’s right, she says whatever Mike Mikus tells her will get her elected.

3. Diano – the minimum wage affects teenage employees working at mcdonalds – it is not intended to be a “livable” wage. That’s why people graduate high school, go to college or get some other type of training and offer their skills in the marketplace. econ 101. check mate.

4. Giskard –

   $7.75 is not a living wage and has not kept up with inflation.

5. Is “Commander Shepard” FYI’s new name. Just wondering.

6. Economics 101 teaches a term called “Economic Equilibrium” it refers to the point where supply and demand (without outside influences) come together to create the highest possible point for both. As the price of a commodity increase the demand for that commodity will decrease, but the desire of industry to supply that commodity will increase (basic supply and demand). I don’t understand how anyone that has a basic understanding of economics cannot see that this also applies to jobs. I, as an employee, provide the supply of labor, companies supply the demand, as long as the minimum wage is below the economic equilibrium point, that number can be changed to whatever you want without affecting the job market. But, once the goverment raises the minimum wage above the equilibrium point, then the demand for labor will decrease. This is what happened to the economy in 2007 when the minimum wage was raised to $7.25/hour. The job market reacted causing unemployment to rise, people that were living paycheck to paycheck had to either not eat or default on debt payments (the largest of which is usually the mortgage) and the housing market collapsed. Unfortunatly it is easy to tell people that they will get a $7.75 and hour raise to get electedt, and then blame everyone else when unemployment begins to rise and the ecomomy starts to fall.

7. jtowndem,

   I read plenty of books, the most recent Peter The Great by Massie, Pretty fascinating.

   I raised a family of 4 on 50K up until my wife went back to work just a couple of years ago and that was in SE PA.

   As to the “derogatory ” statement about poor people. That’s not my opinion that is a statement of fact. We do have the fattest poor people in the world. In the books that I read, in the 30s Roosevelt was paying farmers to plow over crops while people were starving. This practice was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

   It does not matter, in the city or out in the sticks, and when you are behind them in the check out counter you can see why, processed foods, soda, no fruit, no vegetables. You know, it requires effort to put together a fresh food diet. It’s a lot more time than money.
   Busy people know how to make time, lazy people can’t find the time.

   “The raise needed in this country is to improve schools and build supportive communities in desolate neighborhoods”

   Yeah, thats what we should do, allow the central planers to throw money at desolate neighborhoods, why not let the market decide? I have personally renovated houses in “desolated neighborhoods”with my own sweat, skill, credit and money. How about you?

   As to the schools, when you have parents that don’t value an education,no amount of money can fix that. With the internet, must people can be self taught if they are motivated.

   “foods that are cheap from subsidies also tend to be the less healthy options.” True to an extent, thank god that in this country there are plenty of choices, I buy whats in season, chicken is the same price as it was 30 years ago.

   Where did the Ivy league comments come from?

   The economy was strong during the 50s because we had no industrial equal at the time because of wwII.

   As to your comment “massive inflow of immigrants in the middle of the century”;
   In the 1930s and 1940s there was hardly any immigration to this county. Immigration in the 1950s was much lower than the 1960s looking forward. If you include operation Bracero, net immigration during the 1950s might not even be in the positive.

   I guess you are attempting to tie “massive inflow of immigrants” with economic growth.
   That dog won’t hunt, a theory not backed up by facts.

   Got plenty of books if you need to borrow one comrade jtown.

   This is all fun and games, if you are ever near the oldest tavern in the county where we are further east than most on New Jersey; hit me up, i’ll buy you a beer.

8. Because she held a press conference in support of hard working people trying to get ahead? Youre right, she should have spent the day walking 20 miles so that everyone is super duper sure that she can walk in their shoes.

9. You are assuming McG actually believes her own rhetoric. I have come to the conclusion she’ll do/say anything to get into office. A wannabe.

10. You understand that’s why it’s done gradually, right aaron?

    “McGinty’s plan would gradually increase the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15. After three months it would rise to $9, then $10.50 after a year, $12 after two years, $13.50 after three years and finally reach $15 in four years.”

    Two years ago, I may have agreed with you. But times have changed. This is a real option that would benefit roughly 40% of the resident workforce in Philadelphia and Allegheny County. That’s the type of effect that drives people out to the polls. Especially democrats in a presidential year.

11. A candidate who calls for nearly doubling the minimum wage is not going to win a Senate seat in pa. Maybe in Washington or California or even new york. Not in pa. Not going to happen.

12. me too

13. I agree

14. aaron is an ayyyy-hole. Just ignore him.

15. Radcliffe you almost sound like you are advocating for 1930s level poverty to return, which was in the midst of one of the worst periods in our nation’s history. Today 50k is nothing for a family of 4. You have heard about this inflation thing, right? As to your derogatory statements about all our fat poor people; food subsidies have made it so that it is much cheaper to eat than it was for the first half of the 20th century. The one thing those in poverty can still control is the ability to fill themselves and their family. That being said, the foods that are cheap from subsidies also tend to be the less healthy options. The raise needed in this country is to improve schools and build supportive communities in desolate neighborhoods that can help provide good jobs for the kids who can’t afford the Ivy League education (which is also exponentially more expensive than it was 50 years ago). Remember it was after the New Deal, when all those social safety programs were created, and then with the massive inflow of immigrants in the middle of the century that the US economy grew into the world leader.

    So, in short, read a damn book. It won’t kill you.

16. Tony, low standards of life? Come on now. Look at the photos during the 1930s. Poor people, big time skinny. My dad remembers getting his second pair of pants.

    Now look today, section 8 housing, heating asst., food stamps, med card. Lots of safety net out there. People living with those benefits are living just as well as a family of four making 50K… for doing nothing.

    Photos today – We got the fattest poor people in the world!

    If they really wanted to stop the “slide to lower standards of life; they would stop illegal aliens form taking jobs from americans; if they did that the MG would go out to $15 via market forces.

17. Fetterman said this 2 years ago.oh well better late than never.

18. Just not this woman. She’s never going to beat Toomey and her issues are parroting other Dems. Wonder if she will go public with saying she is for single payer–which she told some folks she favored. All talk—-no sincerity. What office will she run for after losing this race? POTUS….!

19. What a shock- she’s just parroting the other Democrats instead of thinking up anything of her own. But it’s time for a woman!!!

20. It’s about time someone decide to something about poverty in the US, over the pervious years it have grown. Some our leaders have tried to reduce low standards of life of life in an affluent place to where people come to earn a better standard of life.

21. Peasants vote for me. I support $16.25 per hour.

22. The wage should be $16 an hour! Now vote for me peasants.

23. Isn’t it a good thing when politicians stand with constituents in need and support them on their issues against the big special interest corporations? Oh wait no, that’s right, it’s about walking aimlessly across the state for a few weeks and filming artsy commercials for blue jeans companies.

    And aaron (or possibly fake aaron), I didn’t realize you had been giving McGinty such a strong chance. But I’ll make sure to remind everyone that this was the liberal issue you definitively marked as a campaign killer. Thanks Professor Rand.

24. I wonder whether McGinty will come up with any original ideas.

25. LOL! are you kidding me – she just lost any hope of winning a general election. LOL!