peeved.

I'm a little peeved at the political memes that people keep posting on facebook because it just proves how shallow our political beliefs are in this country.

so  a friend posts a meme about San Francisco's minimum wage ($10+) and unemployment 6.8% (below california average of 9 point something).  Obviously correlating the high minimum wage to higher employment. well, I thought that was weird because I knew from a trip there, that Jill had told me that the City of San Francisco is 7 miles long, 7 miles wide and compromises of mostly businesses.  It was really expensive to live there so most people commuted to the city to work there.

so with help of another guy thinking that the meme was a little fishy, he did some research.  well, San Francisco - when the economy is *good*, will have an unemployment of about 3%.

well.  damn.

Another point that I research was my home town of torrance, has an unemployment rate of 5.3% the same year. Lower than the city of san francisco but no special minimum wage advantage.

well.  damn.

so the meme's message was proven false... but she keeps going on and on about living wages and higher minimum wage.  a friend of hers even claimed that everything will be better for ALL.  she had the audacity to say that 'in her opinion' franchise owners were not small business owners - no don't mind the fact that Mc Donald's franchisees need to own at least three restaurants to make a living for themselves.  I mean everyone knows that bending to the will of big business means you're evil and cruel.  she even linked an article from a progressive think tank (errm... bias some?) that minimum wage would not hurt businesses.

so I did more research because I don't trust a progressive website to have balanced news coverage.  so I look on CBS news.  OH oh.  well,  raising minimum wage does not hurt businesses, hurt the economy by stagnating hiring.  Also another blow to their argument was that I learned that the earned income tax credit was there to actually OFFSET the minimum wage staying low (thus putting the burden on tax payers) for people making less than 45,000.  I'm not sure if these people even know what the ETIC is for (it is really thought to be a better way to infuse income to low income families without raising the minimum wage).

well.  damn.


of course after I had made these points, she still did not admit the picture was wrong.  the meme continues to be shared by people who believe that raising the minimum wage would have no consequence on how they live, backed by a slew of bias websites. 

I don't really care if you do think that raising the minimum wage would be good even if it does stagnate the economy some because it'll be good in the long run.  that's your educated opinion you are entitled to but to spew bullshit like 'raising the minimum wage will benefit ALL'.... that's got to STOP.  STOP saying that, stop BELIEVING that.  life isn't that simple.  only if it was - we'd have world peace.

I just wish people would take more responsibility for the information they share.