Minimum Wage and the Nanny State.

So i heard this morning about ANOTHER push to raise minimum wage, and I thought to myself, "Why won't they just let the wage be determined by what people will work for. I mean if a man is willing to pull weeds in the afternoon for $2/hr then let him. It's his back and hands and if $2 is worth it to him then so be it. Why does the government feel the need to step in and protect the little man from himself.

But then....

I thought about something else that i thought the government should step in on. Debt/Credit Cards. I have stated many times that it should be illegal to give credit cards to college students. Now, I don't necessarily believe that, but I do think that many companies cross the line into imorrality the way that cards are marketed to college students. So what really caught my mind's eye was that I do believe in some governmental protection from debt. For example, i do believe that we should not allow 50% apr on credit cards. This should be against the law. So i suppose that I do think ther should be some protection by the government for the little (ignorant). [my liberal mother would be so proud]

HOWEVER! Then I realized that there is a difference. A minimum wage job, no matter what the wage, is temporary. I could get a job making some pittance just long enough to by food so that I could find another job. Then hopefully with the experience they could step up to more jobs making better wage. So I take it back. I don't feel gov. protection is necessary here. If they will work for it, we should be allowed to pay it.

Part of the debate is that a mother of 4 making minimum wage is below the poverty level. But what is a mother of 4 doing working at a minimum wage job? Can she not step up? Can we not educate her.....oh oops. When does a minimum wage person find time to get educated?

Minimum wage jobs (no matter what the minimum) should be the territory of the young. As a matter of fact, I feel that minimum wage jobs are a bit, "Rite of Passage". A stepping stone into adulthood. So what are mothers of 4 doing in them.

And we face the problem. We have a whole group of people in society that have never stepped up into adulthood. They have not claimed the responsibility that is theres to have. They remain adolescent despite having left their momma's house they are stile dependent on another.

HOW DO WE "HELP" THEM GROW UP?

Well I *was* going to sound profoud

I meant for my first post to be some major profoud thought but this is all i got.

L8r