• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Perhaps part of the problem is a fixation on the specific number and lack of consideration for the material needs of the people. How much does it cost to live in your city? That’s the minimum wage. Is that $120/day? Is that $200/day? Is that $5000/day? That needs to be the wage floor.

    Feel like you’re spending too much money on labor? See about reducing the cost of living, then we can talk.

    • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      Minimum wage means minimum livable wage, and “livable” isn’t the same as “survivable”.

      Anyone working should be able to afford the amenities we call living, not just scraping by. Children, transportation, food, healthcare, reasonable recreation, savings, retirement, self development and actualization. All of it.
      People not working should be able to survive, and we should do everything we can to get them to that “living” point as well. Disability or a bad labor market shouldn’t close someone off from eating, having children or going to the doctor.

    • BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world
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      2 months ago

      I agree. I don’t see much point in raising the federal minimum wage beyond $15/hr until we make landlords extinct. As long as there are leeches who have free reign to charge whatever they want for a basic human necessity, any raises will just flow right into their already overstuffed pockets.