Minimum Wage for SoWal???

[Uncle Timmy]

Great article Shelly.

I think it can be very helpful to see how other municipalities are dealing with similar issues.

I found two points within the article very interesting:

1) The push for 'Inclusionary Zoning' laws which require developers to include affordable housing in developments.

2) That FL has a 'housing trust fund' intended to build and/or preserve affordable housing and that Gov. Jeb Bush has rountinely raided this fund to help balance his budgets instead of using the money for its intended purpose.

Has our discussion on minimum wage lead us to a discussion about 'Inclusionary Zoning'?

 

[SHELLY]

A scene repeated again and again.

What does the commissioner expect - for the developer to sell below market value and not make a profit?

Kurt,
I don't think that should be the case. Clearly, "speculative frenzy" has been a HUGE factor adding to the soaring price of real estate. Let's face it--granite countertops haven't appreciated 200% in the last couple of years. Condos--build a few hundred more. Land--carve out a few more acres and fill in the wetlands. People were clearly rushing to make money before the air started seeping out of the Real Estate Bubb....ah...Whoopee Cushion. (Smart developers, realtors and investors knew the party couldn't last forever.)

Capitalism and demand for higher profit has caused these problems--capitalism is the only answer to the problem. But until affordable housing magically returns to SoWal (which I don't see anytime soon--or at all)...luring workers to the area by offering more and more money (enough to provide a living wage) is the only answer.

 

[BeachSteelers]

Good reason for studying and obtaining a higher education. Minimum wage is on par with socialism. the market will dictate what wages will be w/o gov't interference. Except when illegals are constantly allowed to steal jobs at lower wages.The home building industry is a prime example. W/O a Degree one could still make a decent(livable wage) but now it's inundated with migrant or illegal workers than are paid under the table. Look all along 30A to see. Or anywhere else in the US!! Why would any employer hire someone for say a $10 min wage when they can elude employment taxes & health benefits and hire 2 illegals for $5/hr and not pay 7.5% FICA. This is now spreading throughout corporate America. Call the phone company and talk to "William" from India. Am I the only one who recognizes this problem? Stop Illegals from stealing job they are not due. Make legal Immagration the real priority. And wages and jobs will improve. Because now someone here illegally can't undermine your worth!

 

[SHELLY]

Good reason for studying and obtaining a higher education. Stop Illegals from stealing job they are not due. Make legal Immagration the real priority. And wages and jobs will improve. Because now someone here illegally can't undermine your worth!

There aren't many "rocket scientist" want ads in the SoWal paper so obtaining a degree won't change the labor situation in the area.

There are only 3 solutions to solving the overall labor problems of SoWal going forward:

(1) Raise wages sufficiently to convince people it's worth their while to travel 2+ hours round-trip on "Bloody Highway 98" during the peak summer tourist season

OR

(2) Build "affordable" workers' housing very close to SoWal or with reasonable public transport available (affordable means the employee should be able to pay the rent and have enough money left over to eat, pay bills & medical, and save for retirement on the wages given).

OR

(3) Establish employment services which provide seasonal, cheap migrant workers (and feed & house the same), to keep service wages low.

 

[beachmouse]

There aren't many "rocket scientist" want ads in the SoWal paper so obtaining a degree won't change the labor situation in the area.

Though if you don't mind the hour commute to Eglin from the Topsail/Sacred Heart area, there are always a good number of those rocket scientist/engineering jobs on base. Or at least as long as they don't yank 46th Test Wing to Edwards like they're now threatening.

 

[redrocket]

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

on a lighter note, come watch me make my 6-10 tonite at pandoras at 7pm. i will be validated in my efforts by your presence.

ps- this isn't a stab at bar owners, just a stated fact that many other musicians would agree with.

 

[SHELLY]

on a lighter note, come watch me make my 6-10 tonite at pandoras at 7pm. i will be validated in my efforts by your presence.

ps- this isn't a stab at bar owners, just a stated fact that many other musicians would agree with.

May your tip jar runneth over.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Sorry, I forgot to mention: please remember to tip the bands and your bartenders and servers. You pay no cover to see the bands down here, so the least you can do is throw a few bucks per person their way.

Rocket, you guys should hire Melanie to pass around the tip bucket. She always seems to get people off their wallets.

 

[SHELLY]

Though if you don't mind the hour commute to Eglin from the Topsail/Sacred Heart area, there are always a good number of those rocket scientist/engineering jobs on base. Or at least as long as they don't yank 46th Test Wing to Edwards like they're now threatening.

If there are plenty of openings, obviously the pay and benefits aren't worth commuting or relocating to paradise for--then again, maybe prospective employees know something about the move that we don't....?

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

Good reason for studying and obtaining a higher education. Minimum wage is on par with socialism. the market will dictate what wages will be w/o gov't interference. Except when illegals are constantly allowed to steal jobs at lower wages.The home building industry is a prime example. W/O a Degree one could still make a decent(livable wage) but now it's inundated with migrant or illegal workers than are paid under the table. Look all along 30A to see. Or anywhere else in the US!! Why would any employer hire someone for say a $10 min wage when they can elude employment taxes & health benefits and hire 2 illegals for $5/hr and not pay 7.5% FICA. This is now spreading throughout corporate America. Call the phone company and talk to "William" from India. Am I the only one who recognizes this problem? Stop Illegals from stealing job they are not due. Make legal Immagration the real priority. And wages and jobs will improve. Because now someone here illegally can't undermine your worth!

Foreign workers (illegal or otherwise) make much more than $5 per hour. Just because a person speaks Spanish, it doesn't mean that they are stupid. Foreign workers recognize their value and know that if someone doesn't pay them the $10 an hour that they want, someone else down the road will. There is a labor shortage in the construction industry and those who are willing to work an honest day will get paid an honest day's wage. Any employer in the construction industry would love to hire hard working, dependable, honest and legal workers, but workers of this description do not exist. Also, every penny of profit that an employer makes is taxed. An employer cannot deduct an illegal employee's wages so the employer ends up taking the hit somewhere. The FICA does get paid even if it ends up being the employer who pays it as part of the 15% self-employment tax that he pays.