Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site idi.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!idi!kiessig From: kiessig@idi.UUCP (Rick Kiessig) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Unemployment & the minimum wage Message-ID: <226@idi.UUCP> Date: Sat, 28-Jul-84 20:17:49 EDT Article-I.D.: idi.226 Posted: Sat Jul 28 20:17:49 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 29-Jul-84 01:07:50 EDT References: <1082@hao.UUCP> Organization: Intelligent Decisions, Saratoga, CA Lines: 38 One question that this brings to mind is where to draw the line. The current system says that EVERYONE in the country is entitled to some minimum amount of money every month, whether or not they work (although the minimum is larger if they DO work). We currently don't enforce this thinking outside of the country, although from what I've heard from our politicians, they would enforce it elsewhere if they thought they could get away with it. So how long do we keep doing this? Do we start taking away money from those who already have it? Do we let the government collapse under its own weight? Or do we adopt a more reasonable approach and let people again fend for themselves, and compete with each other on a free-market basis? I suppose there are advantages to the minimum wage laws. They encourage companies into more and more automation, which requires some interesting innovations. Robots in factories. Automated processing at fast food restaurants. Self-serve gas stations (ever notice how self-serve didn't even exist before the minimum wage?). Etc. Of course the fact that these new innovations cost lots of people their jobs doesn't seem at all important to the liberals. Actually, I'm convinced that the people behind the minimum wage really don't want more poor people. They just honestly don't understand how business works in America. If you make something more expensive, whether it's people or buildings, machines or raw materials, every effort will be made to use fewer and fewer of the expensive items. This was very clear when gasoline went from .70/gal to $1.50/gal. in the seventies - people used a lot less (suprised?)! So why are people suprised that there are more people out of work than there were when the minimum wage was $1.65/hour, when it has since doubled to $3.35/hr.? -- Rick Kiessig {decvax, ucbvax}!sun!idi!kiessig {akgua, allegra, amd, burl, cbosgd, decwrl, dual, ihnp4}!idi!kiessig Phone: 408-996-2399