Quote:If there is any market in the country where one could justify paying fast food workers a living wage, NYC is it (although $15/hr is about 1/5th of a living wage in Manhattan). Speaking from experience, fast food restaurants up there aren't typically staffed by kids. One could also argue that working in an airport location should pay a premium, because, again, typically no kids.

 

Where my problem exists is the idea that 16-year-olds should be making $30,000 a year to flip burgers and gain the most basic entry-level experience available in the professional world. If someone is 30 years old and making $8/hr. at a fast food joint, they're doing it wrong. Instead of artificially increasing wages, why not give them access to government career counselors who can help them make use of the skills they have? Surely a 30-year-old who doesn't have a history littered in unemployment and imprisonment has some marketable skill that will net them $15/hour (at least...I was making $18/hr right out of college) by placing them a step or two up the food chain rather than boosting wages for minimum-wage, minimum-skill jobs and artificially deflating the worth of a dollar for everyone else.

 

I'm all for any real discussion about how to fix the problem. And the problem is obvious. There are not enough good jobs for people that want them leaving people with families to scrounge for work at these types of places. Maybe it's higher wages maybe its subsidized training but neither fixes the problem of the number of people wanting good jobs far outweighing the availability of these jobs.

 

When you have people spewing demagoguery as if these people are parasites (you all know who you are) it does not help the conversation. Nor do I think making it about kids making 30 grand adds much to it either. Finding a way for adults with the desire to work to support families is what I am concerned with and what I would like to see addressed. 

 

I do think a national MW hike is a poor idea given the COL of various places as you alluded to in your comment about NYC being able to afford the $15. It's one of the few liberal stances I don't agree with.

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