Discussion on Capitol Report: Minimum wage, precious metals, and ending balance / LJWorld.com

On Capitol Report: Minimum wage, precious metals, and ending balance

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"Target prayer for dark spiritual areas of SE Kansas, Lawrence, KCKS, North Johnson County — ask God to restore the land." From a prayer list compiled by Dave DePue, volunteer pastor for Capitol Commission.

So I guess according to Pastor DePue, we are a bunch of godless heathens in Lawrence. Nicest thing anyone said about me all week.

question4u 3 months ago

"House Speaker Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, raised some eyebrows at his weekly news conference when he said maintaining a 7.5 percent ending balance wasn't a priority for him." "State law requires the state have a 7.5 percent balance at the end of the fiscal year."

So, state law is not a priority for Ray Merrick. What else is new? The extremists in Topeka have shown again and again that state law and the state constitution mean nothing to them if those stands in the way of their plans to eliminate taxes for the wealthy. Brownback's "experiment" requires raising taxes on the poor and middle-class homeowners, restricts workers' rights, siphons money from KDOT, and undermines education, but even that's not enough. It can't survive unless the constitution is changed and state law is broken.

Law in Kansas? We don't need no stinking law? We have the Kansas Chamber of Commerce pulling the strings. Welcome to the third world USA.

Oh, and welcome to the third century too. The Westboro Baptist Church is not the only organization in Kansas intent upon driving people away from Christianity. Kansas has Dave DePue too! There's nothing like a sanctimonious hypocrite to make the Church look good. What did Jesus say about judging others? When you're praying for Lawrence, make sure to say a prayer or two for Dave DePue, who may need to do some fast talking on the Day of judgment.

The New Testament is the perfect guide for a moral life. If only people like Ray Merrick and Dave DePue would actually read it!

caughtinthemiddle 3 months ago

We already know the legislature pays no attention to law, even the laws it passes itself. The school finance law is being totally ignored, and there is movement afoot to change the law retroactively so that they do not have to worry about being criminals.

Paraphrasing George Orwell , "We are raising your chocolate ration from four ounces to three. Aren't we great guys?"

Bob_Keeshan 3 months ago

"Raising the minimum wage in 2009 was immediately followed by a recession in this state and big budget shortfalls. Had the minimum wage instead been eliminated, our economy would have been booming."

-- The Kansas Chamber Book of Logic, page 36

LarryNative 3 months ago

When minimum wage was $2.65, was anyone besides a tipped employee, who really make $20 an hour, getting pd that wage? I was a bus boy at the age of 14 in 1980 and was making $5 an hr. My paper route wages would have averaged about $7 an hr. I mowed lawns which netted $10 an hr. I did these things before I was 16 yrs old and during the $2.65 min wage. My point is, nobody pd that wage because the labor market demanded a more competitive wage. Minimum wage jobs are for 17 yr olds, not to support a family of four. My real point is adults earning minimum wage have a bad work ethic and are paid accordingly.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 3 months ago

"My real point is adults earning minimum wage have a bad work ethic and are paid accordingly."

If you couldn't egregiously overgeneralize, you'd be incapable of making any point at all.

LarryNative 3 months ago

"If you couldn't egregiously overgeneralize, you'd be incapable of making any point at all."

Only in the mind of a minimum wage worker such as yourself. The percentage of adults who have worked at the same job for over a year and still earning minimum wage is miniscule.

jayhawklawrence 3 months ago

What a disgusting comment.

LarryNative 3 months ago

I agree. The work ethic of most is disgusting.

elliottaw 3 months ago

you must work for the Kansas government because everything you say is contrary to facts, just keep spreading your lies and hope people believe it

Pepe 3 months ago

It would seem like increasing the minimum wage would also cause an increase in unemployment. Speaking as an employer, if I can afford to spend $14.50/hour in wages and the minimum wage is suddenly raised from $7.25/hour to $9/hour, it does not mean that my ability to pay wages is going to change -- what it means is that one of my employees will have to be let go and me and the rest of the employees will have to work harder. In other words, an increase in the minimum wage does not equal a corresponding increase in the employer's ability to pay wages. It would seem like the weakest members of society (i.e., those who have a hard time even competing for a minimum wage job) would be getting the shaft because they would be the ones getting laid off and bearing the brunt of this.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 3 months ago

If you're already paying $14.50 an hour, how does raising the minimum wage to $9 have any effect at all on your business?

BTW, it's been well-documented that raising the minimum wage has very little effect on the levels of employment.

Pepe 3 months ago

I didn't say paying $14.50/hour to each employee, I said I can afford to spend a total of $14.50/hour in wages for all employees (i.e. 2 employees at $7.25/hour each)

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 3 months ago

It's pretty simple-- either raise your prices, or lower your own compensation. If your customers can't afford to pay for your goods/services without exploiting your employees, then they don't really need them. And if you can't make a living without exploiting your employees, you should find a new way to make a living.

caughtinthemiddle 3 months ago

Nice try, Pepe, but we all know what you mean. Why don't you just say, "I don't want to pay anybody more than minimum wage, because I don't want to pay even minimum wage."

Stain 3 months ago

Something is wrong with your business model if you can't afford to pay that pittance.

Maybe there is not enough demand for your products and services.

LarryNative 3 months ago

This shows how little you actually know about business Bozo. Here's an example:

I currently pay a new employee $10 an hr to start. After training and three months later, the person gets a bump. The person who has worked for a year, is now making $12 an hour. So the starting salary is $2.50 over current min wage. If min wage goes to $9, that starting fee goes to $11.50 and after a year, the wage is now $13.50. Small businesses pay more then minimum wage to attract a better quality of worker and they tend to stick around and do a good job. Now the business has to figure out how to pay for the 20% increase in employee costs for a business working on an 8% net margin. Two choices: 1) hire less people to do the same amount of work 2) raise prices to the consumer 3) start hiring sub par workers for the new minimum wage 4) go out of business

elliottaw 3 months ago

what leads you to believe that the same person who would apply for a minimum wage job what not apply to you job with a slightly higher pay? Also sounds like who ever is doing your interview process is not qualified for the job if they can not skim the loser from the top of the pool.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 3 months ago

If your starting salary is already higher than a prospective $9 minimum wage, with regular raises possible, raising the minimum wage would have zero impact on your business. Your reasoning makes no sense.

Stain 3 months ago

Truth. People don't hire people because they have cash lying around. They hire because there is DEMAND for the PRODUCTS and SERVICES. There is demand for products and services when the people who spend money have money to spend.

Every penny of a minimum wage increase would go right back into the economy - most of it local.

elliottaw 3 months ago

most people earning minimum wage are working for bigger companies (i.e. walmart, target, mcdonalds ext) those companies certainly can afford the bump, and why shouldn't a person working 40hrs a week year round at least be able to get their head above the poverty line. There are no real factory jobs left for these people to work like there was when America was in its hay day, now you need a college degree to even think of getting a job and most of those are not enough to be able to live on and pay back your loans.

Stain 3 months ago

Corporate profits and CEO salaries are through the roof. The evidence is that the stock market has doubled under President Obama, and the stock market is driven by corporate profits.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 3 months ago

"Dan Widder, a city councilman in Ulysses, testified in favor of Senate Bill 130, which would allow local government entities to invest in precious metals, such as gold and silver."

That's gotta be one of the stupidest ideas to come out of a legislature that deals almost exclusively in stupid ideas.

jayhawklawrence 3 months ago

Limbaugh for years has had an advertiser on his radio show selling gold. Maybe that is where he got it.

That is probably about as much research as this guy is capable of.

elliottaw 3 months ago

McDonalds makes over $2 billion a year in profits, will be ok if they have to pay their employees enough to be able to at least put a leaking roof over their heads

Renaissance 3 months ago

you defeated your own argument with your statistics. McDonald's makes $2 billion per year BECAUSE they keep their wages low relative to their earnings. If you raise the wage cost, McDonalds won't just say "oh well, I guess we'll make less this year", they will raise their costs to increase revenue proportionate to their wage increase so that they can continue to make $2 billion next year as well.

chootspa 3 months ago

Because we all know Big Macs are a necessity that consumers will purchase at any price.

elliottaw 3 months ago

No I stated that it would not hurt them at all to pay their workers a fair wage, it would not really make a dent in their profit.

Stain 3 months ago

Wal-Mart actually advocates a higher minimum wage because they see their base does not have enough money to spend in their stores anymore, to keep their corporate profits up.

Stain 3 months ago

The stock market - which is based on profits - has doubled under president Obama. Corporate profits, and executive wages and bonuses, are through the roof.

It's time big business shared a little of that with the people they make money off of.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months ago

How about making yourself valuable to your employeer, and EARNING your wages? Why do losers always have their hands out for everything as long as they don't have to pay for it?

elliottaw 3 months ago

Yeah because we all know that when companies see people busting their butts they reward them by raising their wages according, get out of the dream world, my parents worked for BP for 30+ years helped rewrite large numbers of regulations and policy's and want to know what they rewarded them with, they out sourced the billing overseas and moved the rest of the jobs out of the country and got rid of all the personal they had on the gasoline side of things, and BP makes about $15 Billion a quarter.

Get out of your mothers basement for a little each day and join the real world

Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months ago

Sorry, I choose to not cry about my parents. I would guess that if your parents owned something other than entry level skills we would not be having this coversation. My parents too, had nothing, I made everything on my own. You see, I have avoided a life plagued with substance abuse. I saved my money and did with out. The playing field is level, if you would spend as much time doing something to make your life better, instead of blaming the guy that worked harder than you do, then you might have something too. How do you get off blaming someone that works harder than you for you not haveing anything? Entitlement mentality? I or any other person that pulls their fair share owe you nothing. When you want something you need to earn it, not demand that someone give it to you.

I will guarentee you that if you, as an employee were worth having, you would make a very nice wage. Malcontents generally wind up on the bottom, whining that life has passed them by. When you get your income tax refund, make sure you get your tatoos finished and to hell with paying down your debt.

Stain 3 months ago

We know that too many employers just exploit people. Too often they have no idea who is doing the most work.

tomatogrower 3 months ago

http://www.kansas.com/2013/02/17/2680056/govs-financial-numbers-differ.html

Check out this article about Brownback's lack of math skills, otherwise known to us "dark spiritual people" as lying through your teeth.

Stain 3 months ago

Minimum wage was worth over $10 in the 1960s. The economy boomed. Jobs were plentiful. Anyone could work their way through college then.

Min wage should be $10 right now. And it should be increased ever year so it doesn't get so behind.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months ago

Why don't all you minimum wage types, take your money and invest in a business, then have the government tell you who (What gender, color, or disability) you HAVE to hire, then enjoy them telling you how MUCH you HAVE to pay them. What days you have to let them have off with pay, you have to provide them medical insurance, while all the time watching over half of them slack, while you are trying to get enough together to pay corporate taxes so almost half the population does not have to work... God Bless America

UneasyRider 3 months ago

Glad I'm not you. As I posted before, I paid 5 figures to IRS last year. Waiting for your response as to what you paid.

elliottaw 3 months ago

I am guessing he has paid none

Katara 3 months ago

When did Rand Paul sign up for LJW?

Armstrong 3 months ago

I don't suppose any of the enlightened have realized raising the minimum wage is a pass through expense that ends up in cost of goods. Nah, didn't think so

LarryNative 3 months ago

According to the SBA:

Small firms: • Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. • Employ half of all private sector employees. • Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll. • Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years. • Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP.

Please stop repeating that Target and WalMart will be the only businesses taking a hit. Above are the facts, not make believe. Small businesses who work on limited margins will be the businesses who take a hit. WalMart can afford to pay more, downtown Lawrence businesses can not.

caughtinthemiddle 3 months ago

Larry, do a little more investigation to find out what a "small business" is, according to the SBA. I think you'll find that a significant number of larger businesses are classified as "small businesses".

Your point is well taken, as far as it goes, but don't make the mistake of thinking the term means businesswes with only ten or twenty employees.

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