That was 36 years ago. OOPS! Now you know how old I am!

I remember starting off at $2.25 an hour when I was 16 years old.

Call me in 2010 if it shows up!

Yes, factcheck, thats what we call inflation!

The minimum wage was set in 1938 so that a family of four would have "minimal" necessities to live. At $7.60 one person would be hard put to have those necessities now. This doesn`t take effect for a year and a half, so it has no bearing on the economy today. Even in 2010, when it does go in, the wage will only be equal to what it was in 1983. Most surveys show no, or minimal, loss of jobs when the minimum wage is raised, and they also show that other wages tend to rise when it is enacted.

Minan, I believe that all states must pay the federal minimum, but individual states may choose to set their own minimum even HIGHER than the federal level. If the state minimum is lower, it is ignored and the federal level must be met. So that means that WI would only pay $0.35 more than the soon-to-be federal minimum.

As I've said before, I'm not in favor of or against minimum wage increases; I am in favor of abolishing minimum wage laws completely. If I choose to work for an employer at an agreed upon wage, then it's no business of the government to step in. By that logic, the state should be telling me how much I can pay a babysitter, or a kid to mow the lawn.

Big chains? Ask Home Depot or Circuit City...no one is safe from this mess!

I have a part time job and am very grateful for it. I make a little over what the minimum wage is now so I'm happy with it. Our business is struggling and I am the only employee besides the owners. They will have a hard time increasing my pay to the amount set for minimum wage 2010. they should just let things alone, I'm fine with this because I love my job. I don't want to lose it or have this business closed because the owners can't pay the wage,and business is already down. Probably going to get worse. Small business people don't have a chance!!! The big chains can probably get by but not the independent, small businessman.

Many businesses pay over minimum wage. All this does is inflate prices to the consumer at a time when prices need to stay low to help get us out of the mess we are in economically. It takes away a lot of buying power from those people who make say $9.00 per hour. Businesses will not absorb this cost, it will be passed on to us, those of us who haven't gotten a raise in a couple of years to help a company that might be struggling to make its bottom line. Those of us who haven't seen a cost of living increase, those of us who are on unemployment. We will be the ones paying, so 16 year old Timmy can make $7.60 at the car wash...

Question? Anyone know what the minimum starting wages at chain stores in Janesville, such as McDonald's, Walgreens, Menards, Walmart, Autozone, etc., are, and what percentage of their people are full time vs part time employees?

Sorry to say but this doesn't stimulate employment.

So let me get this straight. WI is contemplating raising the "minimum wage" from $6.50 an hour to $7.60 an hour. This is GREAT news to those who are able to keep their minimum wage jobs. Congrats! To those who are "let go", and those many more who can't get a job in the first place, well I guess your elected officials are just saying, "TOO BAD".
"Democrats who support it say it will put more money in the pockets of workers who are barely getting by". Well by golly they are right! At least for those who are lucky enough to keep their minimum wage jobs. For the rest of the job pool who will lose their jobs, or not get a job, good luck.

I do not understand this bill at all. The minimum wage was never intended to be a "living wage" but a starting point. You start low and work your way up the ladder. I did it, my parents and grandparents did it. The people affected by this are unfortunately either uneducated, have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, mental problems or a poor work ethic.

We have here yet another example of our government protecting ourselves form ourselves. All this is going to do is push up prices at a time when consumer confidence is at it's lowest in decades.

It's pretty obvious by the comments posted few if any of you have ever had a payroll to meet. The market should be the determining factor on labor wages period.

What this is going to end up doing is hurting those it was intended to protect. By adding more to the layoffs and bankruptcies we are now seeing on a daily business. It will also drive potential new jobs out of our over- regulated state.

What our legislators should be doing is giving tax cuts to businesses to come into Wisconsin to create jobs. Not just giving them another reason to take a plant with potential jobs to Mississippi.

This is not a conservative or a liberal argument it's common sense.

A shout out to Chasin or Curtain Call. You are SO wrong on so many levels.

Spunkmeyer,
Here si something Morgan spurlok or any liberal for that matter can't seem to understnd is that maany of these companies that pay minimum wage are operating on razor thin profit margins. They can pay more by offsetting their increased cost by raising their prices. are you willing to pay 10 dollars for a Big Mac meal? A company is designed to make a profit on their business and their labor force is dictated by supply and demand. Are some employers just greedy? Sure but they are also the ones being caught employing illegal immigrants and paying cash wages under the table. Morgan Spurlok and Michale Moore always make the business out to be the bad guy and want to punish them. Well you liberls can go ahead and do that, but your illogical thought and emotional responses always fall vitcim to the law of unintended consequences. Ever think that perhaps a business that isnt able to raise their prices to offset the higher costs might go bankrupt instead, putting the very person you intended to help out of a job?

Yep, the state's finances are in a huge mess, and this is what the legislators focus on. The timing to do this is all wrong, with many businesses struggling to survive. All things being equal, this would be nice, but did anyone inform our fine legislators that we're in the worst financial mess since the 1930's?? Well, they got their raise; I suppose this is to ease their conscience for taking it.

The "Living Wage" is different from the minimum wage. The living wage varies by family size. Here is the link to a "Living Wage Calculator" for Janesville:
http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/place...

'minimum wage' and 'living wage' will probably never be equal

Is "minimum wage" and "living wage" the same concept?

Then again no worry till 2010

How can you afford school and support a family on minimum wage? Do we go to school on your tax dollar gpawcat?

alethia - If you can't afford to pay your employees MINIMUM wage, perhaps you shouldn't be a business owner.
gpawcat - I don't understand your line of reasoning. You're concerned about high school students losing jobs and people who are working for extra money, but you could care less about someone who is struggling to support a family on minimum wage. Have YOU ever tried to make it on minimum wage? Maybe you should rent Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days. In his premier episode, Morgan and his girlfriend show how difficult it is for 2 adults to make it on minimum wage. Maybe it would change your mind and give you a little compassion for others who are less fortunate than you are in the process.

well this should push the price of a combo meal to about 10 dollars. The inflation part is a joke, many of us didnt even get a cost of living raise this year and those who did sure did not get the entire inflation percentage.

This increase will only increase the unemployed ranks, it will take jobs away from high school students that want to work & save for collage. It will also hurt people wanting a part time job to pay off debt, or maybe saving for a car. Don't feed me this line of trying to feed a family on minimum wage. If you have a family and are working a minimum wage job, you need to work on a career by getting your buns back in school and learn a trade.

WRONG.....The federal minimum wage is $6.55 effective July 24, 2008. Beginning July 24, 2009 it increases to $7.25. Get the story straight.

beef:
"ish" my rear-end.

Catch 22-ish.