Nickolai wrote:
When Seattle started down the road to the $15 minimum wage, the city hired a University of Washington team of economists to analyze the wage’s effects on the city. In the years since, the Seattle Minimum Wage Study Team’s findings have been largely positive. In 2016, they found that wages in Seattle are up, low-wage employment increased in the city, and the number of hours worked increased. They reported earlier this year that the wage increase had “near zero” impact on restaurant employment. And this week, in their final study for the city, the Seattle Minimum Wage Study Team released a report proving prices at restaurants and grocery stores haven’t increased because of the minimum wage. When taken in total, the Seattle Minimum Wage Study Team’s reports have proven that the $15 minimum wage is a success.
When Seattle started down the road to the $15 mini... (
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Wow. A politically-driven study is commissioned by a group of politicians from a politically-financed group of intellectuals and the results dovetail perfectly with what the politicians ordered. Well, I never. For once, we all win.
Nickolai wrote:
Every time a city or state discusses raising the minimum wage, businesses and conservative lawmakers respond with a series of three threats.
Threats, Mmm-hmm. More like 'predictions', but still, let's call them 'threats'.
'Threat' #1:
Nickolai wrote:
They argue that the higher minimum wage will kill jobs
Of course it won't. Wages don't 'kill' jobs, greedy businessmen kill jobs. Duh!
'Threat' #2:
Nickolai wrote:
that the wage will kill businesses
Nah, wages don't 'kill' businesses, greedy businessmen who take too much from the business kill the business then blame it on the workers!
'Threat' #3:
Nickolai wrote:
prices will skyrocket.
Prices only skyrocket because greedy businessmen charge too much for the products! Wages don't raise prices, greedy businessmen do!
If there were no greedy businessmen everybody would have everything he wants! Hang the businessmen!
Nickolai wrote:
Here’s an EPI survey from before Seattle’s wage increase showing that businesses overwhelmingly predicted all three of those outcomes.
A second ago they were threats, now they're predictions. Interesting.
Nickolai wrote:
Those are the three primary arguments against raising the wage, and the Seattle Minimum Wage Study Team has now clearly disproven all three of those threats.
Ah, now they're threats again.
Nickolai wrote:
This report discusses both cost data—in the form of restaurant and grocery store price changes that are observable and quantifiable—and anecdotal information, in the form of interviews with business owners and workers. It’s important to remember which is which as we discuss the results of the study.
It's also important to remember that there are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies, and statistics. Notice how they get worse as the list gets longer.
You copied this from somewhere, didn't you? Why are you hiding your source by presenting this as an original argument? Here's a source that is both intelligent and credible:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/new-study-casts-doubt-on-whether-a-15-minimum-wage-really-helps-workers/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.aedab43616b5Funny, it talks about the precise study you keep referring to:
"The costs to low-wage workers in Seattle outweighed the benefits by a ratio of three to one, according to the study, conducted by a group of economists at the University of Washington who were commissioned by the city."
I guess it all depends on which lines you read between...