Senate passes increase to Wisconsin's minimum wage

I was speaking to a small businessman today who has 50,000 man hours per season in his business. Therefore under the new minimum wage his labor bill would go up by $55,000 next year if he employed the same number of people. His business is currently at breakeven so he has no option but to lay off 10% of his workforce. How does this help the folks Governor Doyle?

Get ready to give up your job's dumb a=ses

This is what you get when you vote for democrats. Higher taxes, more regulation, less reasons to stay in Wisconsin. When we are ready to retire, we'll be leaving to join our kids in a less taxed state. Not sure where that will be yet, they won't grad. college for a few more years, but the young (grads) and the old are really punished here. They know that they probably won't be able to afford to live here.
P.S. don't just vote Republican, make it clear you'll only vote for responsible representatives that will be (at least)fiscally consertvative.

I own a very small business in a very small community. My business relys on teenage employees, who, in most cases is their first job. In order to even consider keeping my doors open, I will need to raise my prices. How does this help the family guy earning $10 an hour as he/she will surely not see a raise in this economy--but he/she will surely see alot of things go up in price.

Also--tying into cost of living would just keep the ball rolling--labor costs go up causing prices to be increased, causing inflation, causing minimum wage to go up etc, etc.

What are these people thinking!!!

This bill isn't designed to hurt the small businesses, but as mentioned it will cause them some problems. The idea behind the bill is to force money out of the multinationals whose CEOs earn 22 million (GM) and only find that amount adequate, especially when they expect the government to save their companies. I have worked for a multimillion dollar grocery store in Green Bay, and quite honestly I hope that this increase forces them out of their stupor and obscene business practices.

CSS of GB wrote:

This bill isn't designed to hurt the small businesses, but as mentioned it will cause them some problems. The idea behind the bill is to force money out of the multinationals whose CEOs earn 22 million (GM) and only find that amount adequate, especially when they expect the government to save their companies. I have worked for a multimillion dollar grocery store in Green Bay, and quite honestly I hope that this increase forces them out of their stupor and obscene business practices.

If you are dumb enuff to work for low wages then there will be some one to higher you.
I think all you libbs should be forced by law to give half of all your property to the government.
You are so willing to have them take from every one else it is only fair.
And last dumbass GM pays $70.00 an hour with all the benifits so this bullcrap law wont matter to them.
The only ones hurt will be small companys.And all the folks that will lose their jobs so some on else can get more money.

between min.wage going up and everyone elses salery,and Jim Doyle and his uncontrolled spending,there wont be a job left.

Jim wrote:

I own a very small business in a very small community. My business relys on teenage employees, who, in most cases is their first job. In order to even consider keeping my doors open, I will need to raise my prices. How does this help the family guy earning $10 an hour as he/she will surely not see a raise in this economy--but he/she will surely see alot of things go up in price.
Also--tying into cost of living would just keep the ball rolling--labor costs go up causing prices to be increased, causing inflation, causing minimum wage to go up etc, etc.
What are these people thinking!!!

The cost of everything has already gone up greatly in the last year, but there has been no increase in the minimum wage. The minimum wage needs to keep up with inflation or the poor just keep getting poorer

I want to know who the idiot was who put "cluless" on the small business owners stories. Probably some liberal govt. worker or college student who has NO CLUE how the real world works.

Here's the new trick....small business employers.
You're not too bright if you haven't seen the trend.

Outside contractors! There is an IRS form that you can fill out that gets the IRS to agree to certain positions (all your positions) in your company as non-employee status. Then you contract with free lancers. They are in turn their own small business. They must
pay their own taxes on their commissions or contract gross. They must pay their own insurance, you will not be required (soon) to do this at all.
All you have to do is follow a certain amount of outside contractor rules to make your positions non-employee.
Hey, the workers are stupid. They will be desperate for a job. They won't figure their taxes into their quote price. You will get them for even less than minimum! The smart workers who will try to include taxes into their quote price, will ALWAYS be outbid because there is a ton of stupid workers out there. The flow of help for cheap will be continual. You'll never really have to hire on a more experienced quoter. HA
Get with the system, guys.

Here's another trick. I learn this from the H & R block model. You'll get workers REALLY cheap if you do this.
Unlike before, the status is employee, however, they must "go to school" on their own, paying tuition and books and the whole bit. You school them and have them intern...all on their own...no pay from you the whole while, yet you are getting benefit.
Then, those that make it through the class, are offered a "job."
The job pays commissions.
Once they get into the job which is contracted to be only a month and one-half about, then the managers and the few hold-it-together staff, ignore them giving them the silent treatment etc. and treat them like crap.
The next requirement is more schooling that must be done on their own (with tuition etc) in order to get an offer of another contract period.
When it all boils down to the gross wages paid per hour...it is about $2.00 gross per hour...the same as over in India.
The worker wasted their time for the prior year or half year because they'd never want to renew their contract with your company again...no pay and awful working conditions.

You'll never run out of people willing to try. People are stupid and desperate.

ñs someone who works for min wage I am APALLED at the comments made here! I would relish the opportunity to make more money for the quality work I put out. OUR SOCIETY IS CRUMBLING BECAUSE OF THE IDIOTS WHO MAKE SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY DONT KNOW WHAT DO WITH IT! And then there are those of us work very hard and we cant put food on the table because of the astronomical prices. SHAME ON YOU!

linz wrote:

ñs someone who works for min wage I am APALLED at the comments made here! I would relish the opportunity to make more money for the quality work I put out. OUR SOCIETY IS CRUMBLING BECAUSE OF THE IDIOTS WHO MAKE SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY DONT KNOW WHAT DO WITH IT! And then there are those of us work very hard and we cant put food on the table because of the astronomical prices. SHAME ON YOU!

Shame on you!! for being willing to work for such a small wage. If you had any pride or gave any value for the money you are paid you would demand more pay and get it.
You are not worth more so you want some one to force your employer to pay you more than your worth. Grow up and make your self worth more,go to school or get training to better your self. And doin't claim you cain't do it,Others have worked thier way thru school to earn more. If you cared for your self you would do it to!
The people that make so much they can't spend it more than likely did it too.
Quit bitching and do some thing for youself and stop waiting for the government to do it for you.

I love how the liberals worry about someone making too much money. Start your own business, work hard and you will do fine, until government interferes. Or ask the liberal actors and sports players to give you a hand. I will be hiring less people to make up for this min. wage increase.

eip amil wrote:

Here's the new trick....small business employers.
You're not too bright if you haven't seen the trend.
Outside contractors! There is an IRS form that you can fill out that gets the IRS to agree to certain positions (all your positions) in your company as non-employee status. Then you contract with free lancers. They are in turn their own small business. They must
pay their own taxes on their commissions or contract gross. They must pay their own insurance, you will not be required (soon) to do this at all.
All you have to do is follow a certain amount of outside contractor rules to make your positions non-employee.
Hey, the workers are stupid. They will be desperate for a job. They won't figure their taxes into their quote price. You will get them for even less than minimum! The smart workers who will try to include taxes into their quote price, will ALWAYS be outbid because there is a ton of stupid workers out there. The flow of help for cheap will be continual. You'll never really have to hire on a more experienced quoter. HA
Get with the system, guys.

Hey, piece of narrowminded! You think you are so smart you can cheat the system by hiring contractors? A large number of small business owners are aware of this trick -that won't take you far, by the way-. Did you know that if you hire contractors instead of employees your possibilities to grow a business are very little as if you hired your own staff. I tell you why, smart guy, when you hire contractors the numbers of hours you can employ them are regulated/limited. That is to say, if the IRS finds out that you were employing a subcontractor for more than 10 hours a week for a calendar year then you'll be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. I know a bunch of idiots who cheat the system by giving their own "staff" the 1099 form instead of "W-2".
Bravo! Congratulations for your "smart" suggestions. We really need a bunch of brilliant people like you to lead this country, we'll probably go bankruptcy in a matter of weeks.

Mendieta wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey, piece of narrowminded! You think you are so smart you can cheat the system by hiring contractors? A large number of small business owners are aware of this trick -that won't take you far, by the way-. Did you know that if you hire contractors instead of employees your possibilities to grow a business are very little as if you hired your own staff. I tell you why, smart guy, when you hire contractors the numbers of hours you can employ them are regulated/limited. That is to say, if the IRS finds out that you were employing a subcontractor for more than 10 hours a week for a calendar year then you'll be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. I know a bunch of idiots who cheat the system by giving their own "staff" the 1099 form instead of "W-2".
Bravo! Congratulations for your "smart" suggestions. We really need a bunch of brilliant people like you to lead this country, we'll probably go bankruptcy in a matter of weeks.

Excellent response! Like you said, if you hire a "contractor" and this "contractor" does not have other clients and you control the majority of thier workload, then the IRS will consider them an employee and will ask for back employment taxes with interest and those wonderful penalties.

In response to those who think that "hiring" independent contractors is the answer let me clue you in to the fact that "independent" is the key word here. This means that the contractor has the power to work when they choose, come and go as they please, wear whatever clothing they see fit etc. If you treat them as an employee by expecting them to work certain hours by definition they are not an independent contractor and you could face incredible fines and even be jailed for running your business in this fashion.

For the record, beore you spout off by calling people dumb on a message forum you might want to learn how to spell or at the very least use your spell check.

well, 1 month into the new minimum wage I have been able to not have to raise my prices, which is hard when the counties I do business in have the highest unemployment in the state. I did this by not replacing the High School employees who left for college. I feel bad as so many teens are wanting enterance level jobs but I can not afford them. I also was not financially able to give my adult employees a raise because the teens got one from the state.