The Minimum Wage Should Be Raised - 998 Words

What if a 16 year old was making $18,000 a year after taxes, working only 25 hours a week? Most likely you would expect that teenager to have a pretty prestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for teenagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’s rate is at $8.05 an hour, however some believe the minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour in all states(Raise).† People working in minimum wage jobs may feel as if this $7 bump would be a great advantage to them, but there are possible negative results of doing this too. As a manager of a restaurant where emplo yees start at minimum wage, I can only imagine the effects our company would feel. Raising the minimum wage is not the solution to helping people out of poverty , I feel it will only be enabling them to stay in the same position they are in and give less motivation for teens to further their generation. Increasing the minimum wage will harm businesses and will decrease the motivation to get a further education. While raising the minimum wage will create bigger paychecks, it does not mean that will solveShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how theRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1337 Words   |  6 Pagesnot to raise the minimum wage in America has been a widely discussed topic for years. Minimum wage refers to the smallest amount of money a worker can legally be paid in the U.S. It was first signed into law in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt in order to keep workers out of poverty and as it stands, the current federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 per hour. (United States Department of Labor). Today, while some are even questioning the significance of having a minimum wage at all, others

Metropolitan Area Free Essays

In this paper, we are going to look at Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is defined by the United States Census Bureau. This MSA is also be called as Tampa Bay Area. We will write a custom essay sample on Metropolitan Area or any similar topic only for you Order Now It Is a region close to Tampa Bay and west of central Florida. Throughout this paper, I will collect data from different categories of the Tampa MSA and going to mainly focus on these areas: population and population growth, population density, race ethnicity, Immigration, education attainment, GDP per-capita, unemployment, poverty and housing prices. Atter collecting data Trom tne aoove categories, I will use tnem to compare wltn US national level. After the comparison, I will see what significant problems the area is facing, for example such as high housing prices, high immigration rate, low GDP, etc. Looking at these data we are able to see if Tampa, FL MSA is a quality living region when it compares to the US national level. After drawing different details from each subject with evidence and sources, I will be able to contrast main factors that Tampa MSA should be focus on developing. Whether they should be maintain, higher r lower the rate in order to have a better living standard. We can be able to draw conclusions with the collected data. According to the United States Census Bureau Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas table, the estimated population of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area is around 2,824,724 in 2011. The population has risen around 36000 since 2010. This number is relatively high when it compares to the population growth within a year in other MSAs. Tampa Bay is one of the top 20 argest metropolitan areas in the US, it ranked 19 among 942 US metro and micro areas as of 2011. However, it is still a low ranking Metro Area when it comes to the weighted density in the US. From the ranking survey from Austin Contrarian, Tampa, FL Metro Area ranked 43 out of 50 in all US Metro Areas in 2010. The population weighted area density in this area is around 3,323. When it compares to other MSAs like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, it is lower since the density in all these metro areas are recorded with over 10,000. The change in population-weighted density from 2000 to 2010 is -3. 3%. This number is still consider as a regular According to the diversity data gathered by Harvard University, the main racial/ ethnicity group in Tampa MSA is Caucasian with 66. 5% of the population. Hispanic made up the second largest group of race with around 17%. When we look at population in the US as of ethnicity, an estimated 63% of the total population in the US were Caucasian and Hispanics were 17% in 2012. Tampa MSA ethnicity distribution is very similar with the US ethnicities percentage. Two counties of the Tampa Bay region are ranked top counties with high net migration. From 2000-2010, 119,997 foreign-born population were recorded. While the US foreign born population was 28. 4% in the past decade, Tampa MSA was 51. 3%. The number was doubled the US national level. The percentage of high school graduate or higher in Tampa Metro Area was estimated 87% and 26. 2% for graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2010. It is a average percentage when we compare it with other MSAs. These number were very close to the US national level. It showed Tampa Metro Area has put a significant expense in education to follow the US national level of education attainment. From Metropolitan Area on the Bureau of Economic Analysis site, it stated Tampa- St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (MSA) real GDP per capita is 36,648 in 2012. It ranked 155 out of 381 MSAs. Tampa MSAs’ GDP per capita is higher than many other MSAs in the United States. It shows that Tampa MSA industry growth is positive and people earn, therefore they have more disposable income to spend. The largest employment group in the Tampa MSA is trade, transportation and utilities (21. 82%). The second group is professional and business services (18. 46%). Looking at the ocation quotient, the manufacturing industry in Tampa area has the lowest number among all. / represents lampa employment level In tne manuTacturlng level Is lower than the overall US total level of 1. 0. Other employment industry like financial activities in Tampa MSA is going better than the overall national level with 1. 38, which is 0. 8 better than US total. Another industry with a higher location quotient is professional and business services of 1. 14. Both of these industry in Tampa employment is higher than the US total. The overall location quotient of this MSA is ery close to 1 which means similar to the US industry distribution. From the location quotient we can see Tampa is less involved in the manufacturing industry but focused more in financial activities and business services. The most current ( Oct 2013) unemployment rate of the US is 7. . Tampa MSA was recorded with 6. 4 unemployment rate, which is lower than overall US level. Even though is it lower than the overall US unemployment rate but still this is not a very positive number when we compare with other MSAs. The poverty rate of Tampa metropolitan According to the National Association of Realtors data, the most updated third quarter of 2013 median home price of Tampa Bay Area is $151,800. In the third quarter of 2012, house prices was 138,000. It has risen 10% in a year. Even though it has risen ten percent in the past year, it is still a normal figure when we look at overall United States economies. In the NAR report, data showed that 144 out of 163 metropolitan statistical areas increased in 88 percent in the median existing single- family home price. Tampa MSA is one of the fifty four areas that had a double-digit increases, while only 19 had price decreases. This fast rising national median prices is the strongest annual growth in the US in this eight years. Commuting in Tampa Bay Area is disappointing, it is the worst among the nation. In 2010, Forbes. com did a ranking on 60 lasrgest metropolitan areas in the US and Tampa MSA was ranked the worst out of all the metros area. In this survey, they measured travel time, travel delays and road congestion in each of these cities. Also, they looked at percentage of commuters used public transit or carpooled and referred them as the â€Å"green commuter†. Looking at the US Census Bureau’s figure of Public Transportation Usage for the 50 Largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas 2008, 2009†³, the usage of civilians who used public transportation to work was only 1. % in 2008 and 1. 4% in 2009. As we can see less than two people out of a hundred used public transit commute to work. With a very developed public transportation system, big cities like New York and San Francisco had recorded over 30% and 15% usage of public transportation. The reason of why residents in Tampa Bay rarely use public transportation may because of the poor development and maintenanc e of these facilities. In conclusion, Tampa Bay Area How to cite Metropolitan Area, Papers

Imperialism and Colonization free essay sample

Colonization and imperialism are inherently associated with an economic model that is meant to boost the economy of the colonizing power (herein referred to as benefactor state) by providing target market for manufactured goods and source of raw materials. During the twentieth century most colonies gained independence or autonomy resulting in a disruption of the economic model associated with colonization and imperialism. A current trend is globalization which necessitates a complete reversal of the economic role of states. The role has changed from serving as a market for the benefactor state to manufacturing products using inexpensive labor that are then sold back to the benefactor state. Many states (particularly in Africa) have not been able to adjust to this change and have, thus, been caught between colonization and globalization without strong economic ties to other nations. To minimize conflict within a state and between states, the respective nations must have ties that are strong enough to transcend national boundaries. We will write a custom essay sample on Imperialism and Colonization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is evident when examining global trends such as colonization and globalization which tend to focus nations that would normally be at odds on a common goal. In the case of colonization, natives of occupied territories are inclined to unite against the occupying power. A current trend towards globalization has forced nations to unite because of an increased economic dependence between states. The claim (albeit untrue) that there has never been a war between two countries having McDonalds underscores the importance of economic ties that can transcend national boundaries. A History of Imperialism and Colonization During the height of colonialism, Britain controlled over a quarter of the land and one third of the population. Combined, Britain and eight other European countries controlled approximately 84% of the earth’s surface. (Conklin: 1) What factors allowed Europeans to exert such a strong influence on other parts of the world? More importantly, what were the motivations for subjugating the rest of the world that have made such a profound impact even in the modern world? J. A. Hobson describes the driving force behind olonization as â€Å"the investor who cannot find at home the profitable use he seeks for his capital, and insists that his Government should help him to profitable and secure investments abroad. † (Hobson: 15) On the practical side of colonization, armies are needed and colonization can’t occur until an industrial revolution begins. Industrialization requires cheap labor, a navy, a target market to buy surplus p roducts and raw materials. Without a large enough target audience for selling goods, the industrial revolution would have been stymied and Britain’s economy and industry could not have advanced as rapidly. Essentially, raw materials are shipped out of colonies to the colonizing country, manufactured into a finished product using cheap labor and then sold back to the colonies at profit. (Kollenbroich) Undoubtedly, there are other factors that motivated European powers to colonize; Christianity, national pride and civilizing those perceived as savages to name some. However, there is no denying that most colonies became economically dependent on the colonizing country. This implies that economic reasons, regardless of other motivating factors for colonization, were a driving force in colonization. In fact, the factors such as Christianity, national pride and the mission to civilize would often go hand in hand with the economic motivation and serve to conceal the economic reasons from the general public. (Kollenbroich) M. K. Ghandi agrees with that statement, â€Å"England is a nation of shopkeepers,† (attributed to Napoleon) and goes on to describe how the British, â€Å"hold whatever dominions they have for the sake of their commerce. † (Ghandi: 25) Continuing on the same note, Ghandi explains that the British view the world as a vast market for their goods. According to Ghandi, the British didn’t conquer India per se; rather the acceptance of British commerce, lifestyle and law allowed the British to govern India. For this very reason, Ghandi promotes a lifestyle lacking in machinery. â€Å"What did India do before these articles were introduced? Precisely the same should be done today. † (Ghandi 28-29) In Ghandi’s opinion, removing economic ties to Britain and rest of Europe, India would eventually attain sovereignty. Clearly, the economy plays a vital role in colonization and is a strong motivation by providing raw materials and markets to sell finished goods. The question that begs to be asked is: How were Europeans able to convince or force other parts of the world to accept colonization? The answer has everything to do with image. If natives didn’t believe that the Europeans were superior, revolts would have been much more widespread. In turn, European militaries would have been spread too thin and outnumbered. The key to preventing this lies in creating the illusion for natives that the Europeans are superior in every way and resistance is futile. The style of rule is as important as the fact the Europeans are in control of the colony. Typically the French would use a divide and conquer strategy. They would bring in French administrators and subject the natives to French culture. This was effective because the French often grouped tribes or groups of natives that didn’t get along. Instead of fighting the French, the natives would fight amongst themselves. On the other hand, the British would preserve parts of the local system and choose natives leaders. This was effective for the British because it gave the natives the illusion of a certain level of autonomy while the British remained in control. Kollenbroich) The socio-economic model in most colonies was noticeably lacking a middle class. On one hand there are the natives who are often dirt poor by European standards and on the other hand there are the business and elite classes that are continually sucking profit out of the colonies. This is somewhat true of even Europe because of industrialization which left a large lower class working in the factories fo r minimal wages. The Trend of Globalization The push towards a more global economy has several important consequences. Many states that were once colonizing powers have seen their role shift to that of economic powerhouses with global cities that serve as command and control centers for the economy. (Sassen, 4) In the wake of globalization, an increasing number of firms have centralized their business presence in the downtown areas of global cities and placed numerous factories in foreign states to take advantage of lower labor prices. The placement or acquisition of factories in other states is known as foreign direct investment (FDI). The five major exporters of capital (United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France and Germany) account for 70 percent of FDI (Sassen 11). According to Sassen, â€Å"the growth in FDI has been embedded in the internationalization of production of goods and services. † (Sassen: 10) This is readily evident when considering the number of factories being built in Latin American and Southeast Asian. The semiconductor explosion coupled with other industries choosing to locate in Asia has led to an â€Å"emergence of Southeast Asia as a crucial transnational space for production. (Sassen: 11) Prominent American companies have increasingly moved the manufacturing of products offshore to take advantage of more lax labor laws and significantly lower wages. The transition from colonization to globalization has seen the role of foreign countries move from buying products to creating products cheaply. The economics of intervention has played a more dominant role in foreign policy and will continue to do so in the future. For decades the United States and Soviet Union struggled to see capitalism and communism spread, respectively. The struggle played out both economically and militarily in many countries throughout the world and is important because more often than not decolonized countries would be in need of economic and sometimes military intervention. More recently, the United States and other countries have faced decisions about whether to intervene in situations such as Somalia and other African states. Interventions such as these are often viewed by the much of the public as too little too late and this can be attributed, at least in part, to a lack of economic interest in the conflict. In fact, intervention costs millions and sometimes billions of dollars which, in many politicians’ eyes, is not justified. To make matters worse, politicians are very careful about labeling conflicts as massacres or genocide because as soon as a conflict is labeled as such, it ethically requires intervention. What happens then to a state caught between colonization and globalization that has little or no economical tie to the global economy? If the conflict receives enough attention on the world stage and there is enough bloodshed, then there is a good chance that a peacekeeping force will intervene. However, the chance of intervention in a conflict with little or no bloodshed is much slimmer and may never materialize. Case Study: Zimbabwe According to the International Crisis Group, â€Å"Zimbabwe’s economy is hemorrhaging. † (Zimbabwe: 5) Zimbabwe’s economy has shrunk approximately 25 percent since 1998, inflation is more than 228% percent (Zimbabwe: CIA) and unemployment is higher than 60 percent. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has decreased from 436 million USD in 1998 to 4. 5 million USD. The FDI alone is indicative of an ever increasing gap between today’s global economy and the economy of Zimbabwe. Any economic ties that Zimbabwe has with the rest of the world are slowly wasting away with a decrease in gold production and decreased foreign aid. In fact, reducing hours and production volume is now the norm and has led to a scarcity of basic commodities within the country. To make a poor situation even worse, the government of Zimbabwe has been directing farm seizures that have led to 95 percent of large scale farmers either stopping operations or being severely disrupted. The food production has declined by 40 percent and prompted a United Nations (UN) report that warns of the potential of famine. If predictions hold true, Zimbabwe’s harvests will not be enough to feed the entire population Zimbabwe will be forced to import food. The government has gone as far as deploying army and police units to deal with riots, should they break out. (Zimbabwe) The ruling ZANU-PF party has been systematically eliminating opposition from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The ZANU-PF has been accused of distributing food to party members rather than equally which means that even children of MDC supporters have food withheld. ZANU-PF supporters, civil servants and traditional leaders are blocking MDC supporters from acquiring maize †¦ It is clear that some schemes have been discriminatory for months without the donor being aware. (Zimbabwe: 7) Thus far, the rest of the world has been passive about the happenings in Zimbabwe. In part, this can be attributed to the need to intervene if a country or countries declare a humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. As noted earlier the FDI has dramatically declined resulting in essentially no economic ties between Zimbabwe and the rest of the world. More than likely, aid or intervention will not take place without a crisis that places Zimbabwe in the center of the world stage. Zimbabwe is just one former colony of many (in Africa and other parts of the world) that gained independence and left behind the imperialistic economy. Unfortunately, Zimbabwe has stepped out of one economic model and failed to step into the global economy. This is evident in the dramatically decreased FDI and production as well as the lack of intervention from other states. Focus on Former African Colonies World War II left the European powers (with the exception of Portugal) scrambling to leave Africa. As alluded to earlier, colonizing is an expensive business that takes enormous resources and ultimately is profitable for a relatively small number people. Most European colonies in Africa were never as profitable as had been hoped for couldn’t be justified like India and some other colonies. The bad name given to imperialism by Hitler helped accelerate the process in Africa as well as other parts of the world. Due to a lack of economic motivation capable of transcending national boundaries, many former colonies have descended into civil wars and other disputes between nations within the state. As demonstrated with Zimbabwe, this conflict is not necessarily militarily (although this is often the case) carried out and may be something as appalling as withholding food or other basic commodities from a portion of the population. Countless other African states such as Somali, Uganda, Liberia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Congo have had or continue to have conflicts between nations. Many countries in Africa are lacking a solid economy that isn’t dominated by a single sector such as agriculture.