Higher pay yes, initiative no

Well said.

So which legislators are even considering a raise in the minimum wage? Oh, that's right, NONE. The ballot initiative process is the legal means for citizens to do what their legislators refuse to do. It's democratic and obviously needed.

I don't think people make what there experience is valued but people just beginning in the work force 8.00 hr is fine they need to realize this is just a starting point.
Most employers offer a raise after a 90 day completion of a job well done.
Key word a "job well done."

This is absurd. Rising costs to business mean rising prices and more layoffs, which will hurt the very people Holms is trying to help. Small, local businesses will be hit the hardest.
How many times do we have to go through this before people begin to understand the basic operations of the economy?

I really hope this clown breaks his ankle walking around trying to get people to sign on to his communist agenda.

Raising wages is great, if the money is there and it is deserved.

Take a look at the teachers union, auto workers, nurses amd etc. who wanted higher wages. Too many benefits and no money to pay them.

Let's not forget, the Times-Standard is owned by a right-wing billionaire from Denver. The Times-Standard also endorsed George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. If this same bunch of neocons is against a living wage, that's just another reason for the rest of us to be all for it.

The Times-Standard, like most papers, usually waits for a ballot measure to at least go into circulation before taking a position. To jump the gun like this so early just shows how frightened this out-of-town corporation is of living wage campaigns catching fire here in Northern California. Good job Bill, keep those corporados on their toes!

Let's not forget as well, California voters raised their own minimum wage in 1998. Did that lead to some huge economic disaster for the state, or did that lower the self esteem of those poor suffering egomaniac politicians in Sacramento? Hardly.

Another unworkable solution to a complex problem endorsed by the Editorial page. It includes the true but un-true statement that ..."the gap between the richest and poorest Americans seems larger than ever"...
The word "seems" implies the statement is true. It is not. Thanks for the disinformation, TS.
Also there is no connection between minimum wage and the cost of living.
Mr. Holmes should be thanking taxpayers for supporting him on social security and maybe using his spare time working instead of wasting time,energy and paper on an initiative.
Remember the no plastic bag editorial?(As I recycle my TS plastic bag.) How about real editorial suggestions to solve real problems.

money money money. MONEY

Well gee, if raising the minimum wage is a "key to ending poverty", why stop at $10 per hour ? Let's raise it to $30 an hour and we'll all be rich !

The Times-Standard is one of the local businesses who have been accepting welfare from the state government in the form of Enterprise Zone Vouchers. Up to $31,000 per employee. You don't have any problem taking taxpayer's money do you, Times-Standard?

Maybe the Times-Standard can't make a profit without government handouts?

Have a peaceful day,
Bill

We haven't gone through it at all, so your question is meaningless. But you make a point. This is just REFORM and if it doesn't have the desired effect (a more prosperous economy) then it can be rolled back. No problem.

Have a peaceful day,
Bill

Student wrote:

This is absurd. Rising costs to business mean rising prices and more layoffs, which will hurt the very people Holms is trying to help. Small, local businesses will be hit the hardest.
How many times do we have to go through this before people begin to understand the basic operations of the economy?

No where do I say that raising the minimum wage will "end poverty." And you didn't answer me, Jeff, don't you already pay your employees more than $10.00 an hour?

Have a peaceful day,
Bill

Jeff E wrote:

Well gee, if raising the minimum wage is a "key to ending poverty", why stop at $10 per hour ? Let's raise it to $30 an hour and we'll all be rich !

This is just great, push the small business owners out of business, or out of Eureka, while pushing retail prices up thus decreasing the purchasing power of the $10. The only people this helps, is well... nobody. It reduces the amount of jobs available and devalues our already worthless currency. What an idiot.- I am waiting for somebody to get into office and eliminate minimum wage. The market WILL set a far wage. If somebody wants to work for $1 an hour, let them. If they want more they will wait for a job that will pay them more.

BILL PLEASE STOP THIS INITIATIVE! IT IS NOT WANTED OR NEEDED.

Speak for yourself, anonymous "Business Owner"...odd that most business owners I know are too busy running their businesses to bloviate on the blogs all day. Sounds more like the interchangable right-wing wackaloon AnonRMous who tortures each and every local progressive who crosses his radar.

If you don't like a ballot measure, don't vote for it. This attempt by the Times-Standard and its neocon blogger brigade to kill it before it even qualifies says a lot about their anti-worker agenda.

i too own a small, local business. i fully support the increase. first of all, i already pay all of my employees over $10 an hour, so the increase wont affect my payroll one bit. what WILL be affected is the amount of disposable income that Eurekans will have to spend at my business.

the fact that local businesses refuse to pay a living wage is a major reason why crime is so rampant in our community.

if you pay someone less than $10 an hour, how do you sleep at night? i would feel bad paying a teenager that rate.

on second thought, maybe i should just pay my workers as little as possible. as a consolation , i can tell them "be grateful that you dont live in kansas!"......

it costs ALOT less to live in kansas than it does to live in humboldt county. how dare the T-S try to sweep low wages under the rug by switching the conversation to the dust bowl????? this editorial was weakly written......

Theo Therme cannot possibly be a real small business owner or is terribly inexperienced. If you're not lying, then obviously you have never hired a teenager in your life.

Even if your lowest paid employee is making $12 an hour, if all the pimply faced teenagers working at McDonalds are getting $10 your employee is going to demand a large increase.

How can you possibly say that a 16 year old teenager is worth $10 an hour ? They are inexperienced, transitory, haven't developed good work habits or work ethic yet.

yes, its true, i own a local business. while i dont hire any teenagers, i dont see why age should dictate wage.

are you just trying to change the subject? or are you just making excuses to pay hard working adult less than a working wage? nice try...