An extra 200 dollar per month will not pay a landlord an extra 1,000 dollats per month (without 5 working tenants in the unit). Why is no one talking about RENT CONTROL?

From my friend who owns a local business: "The more people walking around town with extra spending money, the better for me"

@Terry
Why will somebody have a control over my income? Do you want somebody to put a ceiling over your income?

Oh, so people have to live where they work, huh? I didn't know that. In that case, can my boss give me a raise so that I can afford to live in Palo Alto?

So people have to live where they work, huh? I didn't know that. In that case, can my boss give me a raise that is indexed to home prices in Palo Alto so that I can live there?

"From my friend who owns a local business: "The more people walking around town with extra spending money, the better for me" "

Would they love it if they employees?

^
If they *had* employees

He has 4 employees but he said he moves them up off minimum once they show they're worth keeping around. He starts them at min. though...the idea is all thumbs up from him, even with some min wagers on the payroll. He's looking past the three employees at his shop and more at overall purchasing power of the area.

"Council member Margaret Abe-Koga, who supports the campaign, has said she'd like to see the minimum wage go to $15 an hour."

I'm interested to know why the good council member settled on $15 rather than $20 or $25. How does one figure out the one right legal minimum price for an hour of a hypothetical person's labor?

Further to Greg Coladonato's point, why not make it $30 an hour, or $50? Then "everyone will be affluent."

That's the basic thinking of people like Tom Amiano when he was a SF Supervisor. As long as you don't look at all of the economic effects of a high-minimum-wage policy, but only the sides of it that you want to know about, it seems like a fine idea.

As Douglas Moran wrote on PA Online (in a different context), "Planning is so much easier and more fun if you don't have be constrained by facts."

I'm not an Econ major but Mr. Hammers statements make no sense. Paying higher wages voluntarily and raising prices was always an option, which he refused to choose. Why is being forced by the govt to pay higher wages a better option? What works for him may not necessarily work for other small business owners. In any case, why does Mr. Hammer need to be told by govt how to run his business. Does he really think some bureaucrat knows better how to run his business?

Minimum wage law prevents slavery and sweat shops. Unfortunately, the hourly rate was not inflation indexed, so needs to be updated.

I know of fast food workers that are hurt by minimum wage laws. Since the law does not apply to works who work less than 40 hours per week, their employer caps the number of hours they can work at 20 hours per week. They are then forced to have two jobs and coordinate that hassle, and the commuting and so fort. In some cases to guys have split the same to jobs to allow their employer to pay them less.

Minimum wage will not work until we make it apply to all hours worked.

All political systems are set up, such that the system gives more advantage to those already advantaged. Think about it, those with talant, education, social, political, or organizational power, or even good looks, are given a large share of advantages, be it higher education, more and better job options, or higher salary.

It seems to be the only way to get those with power and talent to give the rest of us anything at all.

HelpHurts--your ignorance is painful to read.
"I know of fast food workers that are hurt by minimum wage laws. Since the law does not apply to works who work less than 40 hours per week, their employer caps the number of hours they can work at 20 hours per week."

Do you not understand anything? Minimum wage law applies no matter how many or few hours you work. Are you perhaps confused with healthcare benefits???? They are completely separate.

Interestingly, on 4/22/14 the Mountain View City Council will be already discussing a (100%) wage increase ballot measure..... for themselves.

Proposed Ballot Language:

"Should the City of Mountain View amend Section 503 of the City Charter to limit the base salary of Councilmembers to $1,200 per month, with an annual adjustment based on CPI?"

Web Link

Pizza My Heart's sales did not increase because they raised prices. The law of supply and demand, which is held to be true by economists from any background, disagrees. What happened is that the restaurant's sales increased due to other factors, despite the price going up. It could be that its customers aren't price sensitive, the local demand went up for some reason due to businesses moving in, or anything else that increased the local demand. It wasn't the minimum wage.

Minimum wage laws work by banning jobs which pay below the minimum. Some businesses can afford to increase wages, others don't have the margin and have to shut down, while others hire illegal help since they can't do it legally at a price that makes sense. If the future minimum wage is unknown, since it's indexed to the cost of living, then I guarantee that the cheaper restaurants and shops will shut down since they can't pass these costs onto customers. Yuppies might be willing to pay 10% more for their sushi dinner, but if the price of a gyro or burrito hits $10, then you're going to drive away customers, and these are the sorts of places which don't have the margins for higher wages. You will find lots of business support for increasing the minimum wage from businesses that pay more than the minimum wage, to prevent competition from their lower paying rivals.

I hope that Mountain View doesn't pass this law, and I hope that efforts instead address the astronomical cost of living.

$15, I'm sure there will be plenty of non Mtn View residents that will love those jobs. Currently less than 5% of my professional co workers live in the town they work. But we do spend our dollars in Mtv View however after a 100% wage increase will will be spending it in Sunnyvale.

$15 I am sure there will be plenty of non Mtn View residents who will love the pay increase. Currently less than %5 of my co workers (professionals paid over $60/h) live in town. but we do spend money in Mtn View... more like Sunnyvale after a 100% pay increase.

$15 I am sure there will be plenty of non Mtn View residents who will love the pay increase. Currently less than %5 of my co workers (professionals paid over $60/h) live in town. but we do spend money in Mtn View... more like Sunnyvale after a 100% pay increase.

$15 I am sure there will be plenty of non Mtn View residents who will love the pay increase. Currently less than %5 of my co workers (professionals paid over $60/h) live in town. but we do spend money in Mtn View... more like Sunnyvale after a 100% pay increase.

I cannot comment on %100 pay raise???

ya they need to cuz im struggling at 10.15 an hr that would help big time

Where is a story about what happened at the April 22 meeting?

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