[Sca-cooks] OOP/OT Politics of Minimum Wage (was RE: foodmanners/tipping )

[grizly]

-----Original Message-----
> > > > >  Just as I suspect that your
political viewpoint is likewise pretty solidly formed.  < < < < <


My political viewpoint isn't really wehat I had in mind.  It is the economic
reality of operating a restaurant in a town that has 2500 or so people.  We
employ 5 people, all at slightly above minimum wage when no other job in
town pays more than minimum.  Our drivers and servers are handsomely tipped
not because the customers feel obligated, but because of the effective
personal relationships we have built with our neighbors/customers.  If the
State of GA or federal government mandated a  . . . 6.50 minimum wage, I
would have to close my doors, as would the other businesses in town.  As
would the businesses in the neighboring villages.  Not hyperbole, but truth.
My wife and I draw no salary for our work week, pay my staff above average
wages for the area, and manage to make my bills pretty safely.  Our town
does not support much more than equinamity for the business at this stage of
the game.  The labor costs of raising the minimum wage would close my
business and cost 5 people above-minimum paying jobs.

That has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with real people
losing real jobs, and not having much other reasonable options.  There will
be jobs for them, and I would find a job in the corporate sector making far
more than I am here, but that isn't what we are trying to accomplish.

If it comes to pass, we will make do or close.  Wife and I will vote and
involve ourselves in the messy political stuff if need be, but for me, it is
truly about being able to provide jobs for 5 good people in our community.

niccolo