Colorado's minimum wage first in nation to drop

[OutHouse]

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14100781

DENVER—Colorado's minimum wage will drop slightly in the new year—the first decrease in a minimum wage in any state since the federal minimum wage was adopted in 1938.

Colorado's wage is dropping 3 cents an hour, from $7.28 to the federal minimum wage of $7.25. That's because Colorado is one of 10 states that tie the state minimum wage to inflation. The indexing is thought to protect low-wage workers from having flat wages as the cost of living goes up.

But because Colorado's provision allows wage declines, the minimum wage is going down because the state's consumer price index fell 0.6 percent last year. The drop is attributed to lower fuel prices.

State labor officials say about 48,000 people earned the minimum wage in 2008.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14100781#ixzz0c2WKe5kI

 

[amdhunter]

Damn, that sucks. 3 cents might not sound like a lot, but the emotional loss would be immense.

 

[bignateyk]

But how will they afford their medical marijuana???

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

As long as they can afford just a bit of hookers and blow so they can forget that they and their wife are working in a shithole so they can live like shit it'll all be ok.

 

[KentState]

Less than a .5% drop in pay or about $62/year. Hell, my company reduced our pay last year for 9 months by 6%.

 

[TechBoyJK]

But how will they afford their medical marijuana???

The same way they did when it was illegal! ZING!

 

[nick1985]

But how will they afford their medical marijuana???

1st of the month checks

 

[CPA]

Damn, that sucks. 3 cents might not sound like a lot, but the emotional loss would be immense.

lol.

 

[thepd7]

everyone else is taking pay cuts, why not them? It really is cheaper to live right now than a year ago.

 

[zoiks]

List of minimum wages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

Damn. Kansas had it's minimum wage set $2.65 for many years until it was raised this year to $7.25. Here in SF the minimum wage is set at $9.79.

 

[mugs]

List of minimum wages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

Damn. Kansas had it's minimum wage set $2.65 for many years until it was raised this year to $7.25. Here in SF the minimum wage is set at $9.79.

Federal minimum wage has been higher than $2.65 for a long time, so no one in Kansas has made $2.65 an hour recently (including waiters, because tips are income even if they don't report most of them on their income tax return).

 

[zoiks]

Federal minimum wage has been higher than $2.65 for a long time, so no one in Kansas has made $2.65 an hour recently (including waiters, because tips are income even if they don't report most of them on their income tax return).

Good to know. Now that's a good reason why there ought to be federal laws in addition to state laws in case the state wants to fuck you in the ass.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Man, when I was in highschool I made 5.25. 7.25 is huge next to that.

 

[Parasitic]

So which one prevails, the federal rate or the state rate?

CA is $8.00 an hour, but can an employer pay somebody $7.25/hr in CA and claim that federal law prevails?

 

[syrillus]

Less than a .5% drop in pay or about $62/year. Hell, my company reduced our pay last year for 9 months by 6%.

You probably aren't making anywhere near $7.25/hour.

 

[TechBoyJK]

When I was 16, it was 4.15 an hour. YIKES I worked 8 hours and made like $25 after taxes.

 

[Gooberlx2]

So which one prevails, the federal rate or the state rate?

CA is $8.00 an hour, but can an employer pay somebody $7.25/hr in CA and claim that federal law prevails?

Basically, whichever is higher.

 

[TwiceOver]

everyone else is taking pay cuts, why not them? It really is cheaper to live right now than a year ago.

Just because min wage is going down doesn't mean those workers take a pay cut.

 

[hanoverphist]

List of minimum wages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

Damn. Kansas had it's minimum wage set $2.65 for many years until it was raised this year to $7.25. Here in SF the minimum wage is set at $9.79.

"Massachusetts $8.00[12] $2.63 for service (tipped) employees, $1.60 for agricultural employees."

wow, that really sucks!

 

[hanoverphist]

So which one prevails, the federal rate or the state rate?

CA is $8.00 an hour, but can an employer pay somebody $7.25/hr in CA and claim that federal law prevails?

id say state prevails. only due to the states having the ability to "ignore" fed laws in other areas, like weapons and such

 

[Gibson486]

So which one prevails, the federal rate or the state rate?

CA is $8.00 an hour, but can an employer pay somebody $7.25/hr in CA and claim that federal law prevails?

state

 

[SunnyD]

Ridiculous. Inflation going down? Has anyone bothered to take a look at the fact that quantity per price for most products has gone down significantly over the last decade, thereby artificially masking inflation?

 

[Gibson486]

everyone else is taking pay cuts, why not them? It really is cheaper to live right now than a year ago.

really? seems like the same to me.

 

[CountZero]

I can't believe Hawaii is 7.25, how do people live on that in such an expensive place?

 

[JS80]

I can't believe Hawaii is 7.25, how do people live on that in such an expensive place?

What % of Hawaiians do you actually think work for min wage?