Minimum wage NEVER is equal to a living wage ANYWHERE in the USA. But when the employer insists on a 39 1/2 hour work week (to avoid benefits) that's essentially what it's become.
I personally think the commute for low-wage employees back and forth to SoWal from "affordable" areas accounts for at least 2 hours of unpaid work per day. So at $12.50 ph for 8 hours in SoWal would be $100 per day which (if you add on the 2-hour commute) would come out to $10 per hour. Considering the additional cost of gas, wear & tear on the car, a jacked-up car insurance bill and commuting headaches...is it any wonder some would prefer just to roll out of bed and put in their 10 hours for 4-days at the DeFuniak Tastee-Freeze for a couple bucks less and getting another local part-time job to make up the couple bucks difference on the 5th day?
Just think--these poor souls have to work 1 1/2 hours to buy a fish sandwich off the bar menu at Cafe 30A (just as an example). Someone is making the money at the businesses in the area....employers are going to have to start narrowing their profit margins (or raising their prices) to pay their workers more (and yes, that may mean paying a living wage) or they will find it difficult to staff their establishments when the customers with money come rolling in the door.
The cheap labor who used to live in the surrounding communities have been pushed out of the area to make way for upscale development--now they want them to make a long commute back down in heavy, dangerous traffic for low wages? I don't think so.
Shelly, I appreciate your look at this. Working out another step brings forth another question. If these businesses, including restaurants, raise their prices to help pay higher wages, that employee to which you refer will now have more money to pay for that now even more expensive sandwich at Cafe 30A, but he wouldn't he still have to work 1.5 hours to do so, and wouldn't everyone else have to pay more too, including people not in the service industry?
something has got to give. red rocket rambles four days a week and barely makes gas money. i guess everyone is on the struggle, so bar owners aren't willing to pay enough to propigate our species and we are becoming endangered. thank god for people like smiling joe who respects the institution of tipping and supporting local entertainers. all your favorite places won't be any fun when there's no good live music because we all had to drive to panama or fwb to make 6-10 bucks an hour playing our hearts out. skilled labor or unskilled labor...what about the muse? where does he/she fall by the wayside in this? ill tell you, back to the land of the day job which allows no time for practice or family. then before you know it, another band bites the dust and the bar owner finds some dj to do karaoke for $150 and we have to listen to our firends from abroad sing their fav toby kieth song instead of hot live music. everyone feels this crunch...except for big developers who have us all dangling over the flame. exit soapbox
Sometimes life is just so damn unfair.
