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Originally Posted by chemgear
Aw, heck not at all. I'm asking because I'm trying to understand the viewpoint.
I still have the question, if indeed jacking up the minimum wage is not going to have negative effects or in fact, could have positive employment effects as our provincial minster says - why aren't we jacking it up higher and faster to help improve this downturn in Alberta? Wouldn't that make sense based on what the government believes?
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As with anything, there is a point of diminishing returns. Some believe that number is higher than $15/hr, some believe it's lower, some believe the market should just take care of it (which is difficult when there exists the threat of cheaper labour outside of the market).
Personally, I'm not for minimum wage at all (the economist in me), but, especially with the aforementioned labour issue, you have to instead fund programs that help people with basic needs when they're down and out, or aren't making enough from the market to afford life.
So your choices are a minimum wage, or higher taxes, neither of which will make any of the same people happy. But you kind of have to pick one. So would you rather have businesses fronting the cost for keeping their employees above poverty, or the whole society fronting the cost of poverty
Personally, I'm for higher tax vs min wage, because the min wage is an arbitrary calculation and doesn't mean people necessarily spend the money on what they should (lack of financial acumen is a problem in poverty, obviously). Providing the services means they have no choice but to use them, thereby essentially using the money for what the minimum wage is intended to provide for them.