Supply and Demand

Last night, on Facebook, that place I love to despise, 'friends' were discussing why the minimum wage should NOT be raised. And yes, these were, once again, the same people who post 'Praise God' in every other post.


Their argument consisted of " if people want more money, they need to go to school and get more

skills, first." Which is, of course, an entirely different argument, all together. Raising the minimum wage for EVERYONE in minimum wage jobs is not the same as an individual going to community college and taking a class in Poodle Shampooing 101 so they can earn 25¢ more an hour.


With an increase in the basic minimum wage, they will still have the opportunity to take Walking the Dog 326 (Or Wokking the Dog 326, for those culinary folks) to increase their job-ability, because suddenly they can AFFORD to go to Community College and EAT TOO!

Basic Economics 101: when people people make more, they spend more. When people buy more, stores sell more. Suddenly, stores have to hire more people~MORE people with jobs~to fill shelves, run cash registers, bag food (yes, they still do that out here in California). More, more, more people to SPEND $$money$$! 


The economy gets better.


What is missing in their argument? Save the 'Let's keep the Poor, Poor, so our life feels better than theirs' sentiment. What happens if EVERY SINGLE PERSON goes to college, to trade school, starts their own business? The better yourself argument only works, if you assume there will always be the gutter people...


Those throw away people who will work our late night McDonalds drive thru windows and stock the Vons supermarket shelves over night.


What happens if everyone betters themselves? No more Joes handing us our Venti mocha cappuccinos, our lattes with an extra shot of espresso and our vanilla bean scones at the local Starbucks on the corner? 


That slave labor class, that can't make enough to live on, while working full time, backbreaking, soul-sucking jobs, while you walk past them unnoticed on your way to your cushy desk job, will disappear.  

With all the 'skilled laborers' searching for not enough jobs in the market positions, the former minimum wage positions will be emptied. Instead of paying people livable wages to fill these jobs--that need to be done--employers will be paying the few ordinary Joes left, twice what educated Joe makes, to hand Educated Joe his latte. 

Supply and demand. 

Wouldn't it be better if, instead of seeing people as lazy, which is ridiculous. Or needing to improve themselves, which is the same. People just, finally, started seeing EVERYONE as a valuable part of our world.

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:34-36