LANCASTER – The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs is conducting a business forum in Lancaster to gather input on a potential minimum wage increase. Officials are seeking comments about the potential minimum wage increase from businesses in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.
The local forum will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Antelope Valley College Cafeteria, located at 3041 West Avenue K in Lancaster.
To better understand the impact of a possible minimum wage increase, the Board of Supervisors authorized the County to conduct a study on the impact of a minimum wage increase in the County unincorporated areas and to receive input from businesses potentially affected by an increase.
The forum will allow DCBA to provide to the Board of Supervisors input from business owners in the unincorporated areas of the County.
The current minimum wage in Los Angeles County is $9 an hour as set by state law.
Recently, there have been a number of research reports highlighting the impact of increasing the minimum wage. As the County explores the possibility of adopting a new minimum wage ordinance, officials would like to hear directly from business owners how a minimum wage increase may affect their businesses.
Those unable to attend the April 30 business forum in Lancaster may submit a written comment online at dcba.lacounty.gov.
The comment period on the website will be open through Thursday May 7, 2015.
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[Information via news release from the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.]
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wow. says
If you want better wages than better yourself to a position that allows you to do so. DO NOT ask for minimum wage to be raised for being less than mediocre in your ambitions. Everybody sets their own paths in life.
David says
To Mary, you are wrong wrong wrong. I have been a labor worker all my life, (I am currently 41 years old) My first job at 18 years old was $4.25 p/h. My current wage $9.50 p/h. I am single, 2 kids and I own my home. No its not a Burbank home, its a Hi Vista home (Ave. G East / 200 th East) $50,000 2.5 acres So yes you can own a home at minimum wage, but you need to NOT waste money on things like titty implants or leasing a Audi (but telling people you own it). Also Mary lets say today I have my house for sale @ $50,000, and starting tomorrow min. wage is set at $15.00 p/h, my house will now go for $100,000, Todays Burbank home $500,000 tomorrows Burbank home $1,000,000. Also Mary this is Seattle’s front page headline: More Seattle restaurants close doors as $15 minimum wage approaches.
mark says
whatever happened to fast food being a good part time job for high school kids for gas and fun money? now people are wanting to make a living flipping burgers SMH
REALLY!?!? says
This goes to show more and more how much our country is all about I want more! These jobs are minimum wage jobs for a reason. Raising minimum wages could cripple our economy. The value of the American dollar is already on the decrease, this would only sink the value quicker. Cause if you’re going to raise the minimum wage to $15/hr. for the average Joe then you need to raise it for the college grad’s that typically start at $20/hr. and actually had the ambition to continue there education compared to the one who either got a GED, high school diploma or possibly didn’t even graduate from high school. This would actually hurt the job market in the sense the Employer’s will do more with less and start leaning towards technology to replace employee’s. I’ve worked hard in my life to get where I’m at without any handouts. When I entered my first job minimum wage was $4.15, I joined the Marines and educated myself and got a BSBA and that was the payoff but I had to work hard to get where I’m at today and it makes me feel proud as an individual that I worked for it, it was handed to me.
Mary says
I bet your salary is more than $8 or 9 an hour.
Other people have to live too. Employers want employees to do the work of 4 people and pay them only minimum wage when the person or persons who occupied those jobs were actually earning more.
You can’t pay a mortgage on $8 or $9 an hour. So increase the minimum wage watch employees do a better job.
100% CORRECT @Mary says
You’re 100% correct my salary is 5 times greater then that BUT when I got my first job it was $4.15 but being the red blooded American that I truly am I wasn’t happy enough with those types of wages because you’re also 100% correct that you can’t live off of $8-$9 an hour. So what did I do I joined the Marines Corps, did 4 years and spent 6 months over in Iraq fighting for OUR freedom when I got out I was able to land a decent job making some ok money but again I found myself saying this isn’t enough and I want more for myself and family so instead figuring out what the system can do for me I took action for myself and went and got my education so I can make better money. Started working at 15 years old making $4.15 an hour and now I’m 33 years old making ten times that… WHY??? Because Me, Myself and I did it on my own and didn’t sit around waiting to see what everyone can do for me. If anyone knew the basics on Economics you would realize that this would be a huge mistake. It will cripple Industry’s that actually require a little more then flipping a burger or manning a register.
So Mary I say this to you and any of the other’s that have your frame of mind…. FYI you can make more money but guess what you have to go apply yourself and work harder and not accept living at poverty or below poverty level. You seem to be just another person in this world adding onto the problems not trying to fix them.
@Mary says
Just one last thing Mary… If you know anything about our military, yeah you know those guys that put their life’s on the line for you, friends and family. They work 24/7 and get paid pretty much penny’s on the dollar, you want to talk about raising minimum wage for burger flippers, OUR men and women in uniform are the one’s that need to get raises! Being in the military was quite humbling.. Maybe you should join!!!
thatonechick says
WELL SAID
MARTY JAMES says
HOW IS FIGHTING IN IRAQ GOOD FOR OUR FREEDOM? WHAT A HOAX.!
Marine says
I guess you were there to witness it for yourself and call it a hoax. My bet is your fairly large individual who gets all the information from CNN. It’s all good though sit back eat your twinkles and ho ho’s, watch your CNN and let real men and women defend your freedom. @yourhoaxGTFOH
thatonechick says
I am ashamed of your comment Marty -.-
thatonechick says
Where does that leave the value in investing in yourself and furthering your education?
Why would I be interested in investing in a trade or earning a degree if I can afford to live just off of a fast food worker salary???
Some people think they can’t make ends meet living on minimum wage, but that’s because THAT’S NOT WHAT MINIMUM WAGE IS DESIGNED FOR. It is a starting ground, a level TO EXCEED FROM, an opportunity TO GROW.
If my 16 year old daughter started working part time at Jack in the Box and realized that after she graduated high school, she could work full time and earn enough to pay a mortgage….why the eff would she be interested in furthering her education? (Luckily, my daughter does not think this way, but I can only imagine how many children do). Or better yet, lets DROP OUT OF SCHOOL to work more hours since now we are earning $15/HOUR.
Pfffftttt Get outta here.
First Responders start out making less and they are responsible for SAVING LIVES. No…I’m not with your idea of increasing minimum wage just so you can make ends meet.
And if you are wondering MARY, yes of course I make more than 8 or 9/hour because when I was a single mother having had a child right after high school and I realized the hardships my decisions put me and my daughter, I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, earned a college degree and worked my way to where I am today. And when I was in the position of making minimum wage, I learned how to MANAGE my money and work multiple jobs to make ends meet. It’s not easy no doubt and it’s not the best way to live comfortably, but we do what we have to. I wouldn’t cry about my situation and blame the system for paying me so little. I put myself in that situation.
smh at the privileges some people believe they deserve.
nikolas says
I’m sorry, but nobody should expect to be able to afford a mortgage while working a minimum wage job. Those are seriously unrealistic expectations.
If you want the nicer things in life, you need to educate yourself or learn a valuable skill/trade (plumbing, electrician, computer programming, welding, technical-related skills, etc.). Then work hard, prove that you are worth the higher pay, and you’ll be paid more.
unskilled Jobs in low demand are going to be paid minimum wage. Which is what the minimum wage was designed for.
JoeBlow says
I say pay the fast food workers $15/hr! They deserve it…seeing as they never took the time to understand that business math they had to sit through when they were forced into a curriculum…
Of course we are prepared…instead…the US gov it’s going to set minimum wage at a dollar every 100 hours,all while reducing gas to $0.03/gal along with movie popcorn to $0.50/small!! …wait…
Neither of those would work…well…best advice: get really good in a meaningless sport with millions of fans while in high school…get accepted into professional leagues…then earn 1000% your actual worth!
That or politician….six figures for sitting on your arse eight days a week for twenty years,then do speeches for a cool quarter mill a speech! (<—Words from AVHS Civics Economics teacher!)
Karen says
The fact that CNA’s get paid 10$ and hour and you think fast food workers deserve more is insane. I always found it funny when someone working at Mc. Donald’s cry about how they been working there 5 years and get paid “very little” Mc. Donald’s should be a temporary job not a life long career. They should really consider going back to school and furthering there education, so they can get a real JOB.
karen says
10$ an hour*
JoeBlow says
It was sarcasm…read the second sentence again…workingfor socal Edison & couldn’t even pay that!
Brittany says
This is just crazy talk but what if business owners took a pay cut to provide the funds for a wage increase. Imagine if every business did this. The cost of living wouldn’t need to increase to offset this the increase. The government could then offer some type of tax rebate in exchange, which wouldn’t be a problem because all the money that was previously put aside welfare wouldn’t be needed because people would be able to support them selves. of course there are those who still wont/can’t work enough to completely support themselves but imagine how many people this would help. Just a thought
Jason says
Some business owners can’t afford to cut their wage because in some cases they aren’t making much more than the employed themselves. People want the big businesses to yp the minimum wage without realizing what damage it will do to the mom and pop type stores that can’t afford to take that hit.
Greg says
The argument of increased wages means less workers can be afford will of course come up. But think of it a little further out… if everyone is being paid more then everyone has more money to spend, which means prices can be raised.
The downside to that is those on fixed incomes that do not match the wage increase percentage will suffer. This includes county and state employees that are not receiving a cost of living adjustment to match the percentage increase of minimum wage earners. This has already affect workers over time, they have a more stagnant earning curve which results in less purchasing power. So a person that used to live decently is now struggling to stay afloat with low to zero discretionary funds to spend. The same happens with those on Social Security, they are not seeing matching increases and are losing purchasing power with each minimum wage increase.
Welfare is still stretched thin, too many people, to few tax dollars applied since war is more profitable than feeding people.