Minimum Wage

From Pete Ashdown Campaign Collaboration Wiki

When I started hiring employees to XMission in 1995, I set my minimum wage at 50 cents above the maximum wage I had made working for another company. The reason being is that as a single student, I found it hard to live on that prior amount. It was also important to me to absorb the health care costs of my employees.

In 1995, the entry-level wage at XMission was $7/hr, today it is $11/hr. The debate over how this affects business in America in my mind is not relevant, because most responsible businesses already are paying employees well above the minimum wage and taking care of their health care needs. When a profitable business does not, then they shrug their irresponsibility off to the American tax-payer.

Every rule has an exception and I do believe that small start-ups need all the help they can get to get off the ground. Either placing minimum wage restrictions on businesses that have been operating at a marked profit level or for a certain duration will help support small businesses getting started.