Nads reports on Minimum Wage in Los Angeles

[CC27]

nadinbrzezinski (137,004 posts)

Los Angeles Raises Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour


The increase — which the Los Angeles City Council passed in a 14-1 vote — comes as workers across the country are rallying for higher wages, and several large companies, including Facebook and Walmart, have moved to raise their lowest wages. Several other cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Oakland, Calif., have already approved increases, and dozens more are considering doing the same. In 2014, a number of Republican-leaning states like Alaska and South Dakota also raised their state-level minimum wage by referendum.

The impact is likely to be particularly strong in Los Angeles, where, according to some estimates, more than 40 percent of the city’s work force earns less than $15 an hour.

“The effects here will be the biggest by far,” said Michael Reich, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, who was commissioned by city leaders here to conduct several studies on the potential effects of a minimum-wage increase. “The proposal will bring wages up in a way we haven’t seen since the 1960s. There’s a sense spreading that this is the new norm, especially in areas that have high costs of housing.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/20/us/los-angeles-expected-to-raise-minimum-wage-to-15-an-hour.html?smid=tw-share

This is by the way, the kind of policy I would expect media to ask of all the clowns running for the white house. In a working democracy press would. The policy of what the floor for minimum wage should be, regarding poverty and the ability for people to participate in the economy has also implications of social order and peace.

Somehow if a question is asked, I do not expect any kind of follow up... and as is, this is almost an afterthought in a globalized economy.

Yes, my opinion.

Los Angeles going via the Seattle. Someone shut off the lights.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026696197

[jukin]

The Jukin Economic Research Center predicts that there is going to be a lot of minimum wage jobs just outside the LA city limits.

IIRC, LA 18-26 unemployment rate in LA is around 28%. They will look back on that as the good old days.

[67 Rover]

What's wrong with $20/hr. 

[Skul]

I want $25, and not a penny less. Oh, a free meal, too.  BTW, free medical, dental and vision insurance, while I'm at it. Four weeks paid vacation which can be taken the first month of employment (Don't forget to pay me for it.)

[GOBUCKS]

The nutcase makes another secret post:

Mon May 18, 2015, 09:47 PM
nadinbrzezinski (137,004 posts)
47. As far as the small agricultural producers

they will get the same effect that farmers in Chiapas did. Those farmers are currently striking in Baja California for slightly better wages and taking it in the chin from cops.

Did I mention that has all to do with corn? Mexico is no longer self sufficient on a staple and these people were forced off their lands.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026690881#post47

It's secret because she's the only one who knows what it means.

[Carl]

I guess an official minimum wage is cool when the underground wage of half that or less in cash to illegals rules the day.

[SVPete]

The Progs & Co. have been playing a game of chicken with economic reality, imposing this silliness in cities like SF, Oakland, and Seattle. The Land of LA is the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the US, IIRC. Besides being an entry-level-job-killer generally, it is likely to be the critical mass of stupidity that will bring automation into fast food stores, with machines doing the food prep currently being done by people. Such machines do exist and evidently are reasonably available. Whether the buying public will accept machine-prepped food will be an interesting question.

I doubt the DU folk would mourn the demise of M or BK or ... The teens who had hoped to have those entry-level jobs might feel a bit differently.

[thundley4]

  Tracy Rafter, founding Chief Executive of the Federation, commented on this year’s results, “Hiring, which it’s a bit better, is not where things are growing–they’re growing in technology,” because, “People cost so much more than technology over time.”

For companies that do expand, they “must navigate what’s been called a spaghetti bowl of permit requirements”, according to the Times. Rafter worries that technological advancements have made it easier for frustrated local companies to just go “mobile” and conduct the bulk of their business elsewhere.

The Center for Jobs & the Economy published a study last week entitled, “Economic Tale of Two Regions: Los Angeles County vs. Bay Area.” The report revealed that Silicon Valley has been subject to far less direct regulation and therefore can pay higher salaries than Los Angeles County. While the Bay Area saw 25.3 percent private sector job growth since 1990, Los Angeles County actually lost 1.2 percent of its jobs.

  http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/05/19/l-a-hikes-min-wage-to-15-as-employers-choose-machines-over-people/

And just think, those negatives are happening without the wage hike.

[98ZJUSMC]

Did I mention that has all to do with corn? Mexico is no longer self sufficient on a staple and these people were forced off their lands. Whhyyyyy?

Huh.   .....and with all those workers around doing the jobs that Americanos won't do, too.

Huh. 

Must be secret corn.

[Mr Mannn]

Mon May 18, 2015, 09:47 PM
nadinbrzezinski (137,004 posts)
47. As far as the small agricultural producers

they will get the same effect that farmers in Chiapas did. Those farmers are currently striking in Baja California for slightly better wages and taking it in the chin from cops.

Did I mention that has all to do with corn? Mexico is no longer self sufficient on a staple and these people were forced off their lands.

Chiapas. I used to watch that show in the 70's. It was about two California Highway cops on motor bikes.

[Big Dog]

Whether the buying public will accept machine-prepped food will be an interesting question.

It can't taste any worse than the human-prepared crap they sell now.

[obumazombie]

More centralized planning from centralized planners who ignore the complete failure of centralized planning everywhere it's been used.