Othershoe1030's favored city Seattle: Seattle small business owner closes shop, blames $15 minimum wage

One example of Othershoe1030's most favored cities.


Seattle small business owner closes shop, blames $15 minimum wage

Proponents of the $15 minimum wage have scorned stories of small business closures in San Francisco and Seattle as mere scare tactics. They’ve reassured the public that there is no truth to negative economic forecasts, dismissing small business closures as unrelated to the debate. But, $15 minimum wage advocates cannot ignore stories like that of Ritu Shah Burnham, owner Z Pizza in Seattle.

Due to the rise in labor costs, Burham cannot stay in business. Burham says she has exhausted her options in attempts to make ends meet given the new cost burden of the $15 minimum wage. Via Q13 Fox News,

“I’ve let one person go since April 1, I’ve cut hours since April 1, I’ve taken them myself because I don’t pay myself,” she says. “I’ve also raised my prices a little bit, there’s no other way to do it.”

Though Burham only employs 12 people, her small businesses—which is part of the Z Pizza franchise—is treated like a large business (classified as more than 500 employees) under Seattle’s discriminatory $15 minimum wage law. That means Burham is on the two-year fast track for phasing in a $15 per hour wage for her employees—a track that she cannot keep up with.

https://shiftwa.org/seattle-small-business-owner-closes-shop-blames-15-minimum-wage/

$15 in one increase of the minimum wage is too much. However, I have gotten to the point that I cannot trust anything you post. I thought it was going to be incrementally increased and that it currently is around 12 bucks.....still too high to quick, but certainly for every small business which is selling pizza that closes, the business of those who survived will increase. A franchise where they count all the franchises, makes it tough on the owner. However, this is not a zero sum game.......like the jobs will disappear....NO......with increased wages, workers will not be buying more pizzas, and those who work efficiently will get greater business, will charge more for their pizzas, and will prosper.

I have not been a proponent for large arbitrary increases in the minimum wage. I would rather see incremental and steady increases over ten years until we get back to the 1968 standard in real dollars. There will be economic dislocation with large arbitrary increases, and there will be inflation in that market.

2seaoat wrote:$15 in one increase of the minimum wage is too much.  However, I have gotten to the point that I cannot trust anything you post.  I thought it was going to be incrementally increased and that it currently is around 12 bucks.....still too high to quick, but certainly for every small business which is selling pizza that closes, the business of those who survived will increase.  A franchise where they count all the franchises, makes it tough on the owner.  However, this is not a zero sum game.......like the jobs will disappear....NO......with increased wages, workers will not be buying more pizzas, and those who work efficiently will get greater business, will charge more for their pizzas, and will prosper.  

I have not been a proponent for large arbitrary increases in the minimum wage.  I would rather see incremental and steady increases over ten years until we get back to the 1968 standard in real dollars.  There will be economic dislocation with large arbitrary increases, and there will be inflation in that market.

there's the difference seaoat....people want the 15 per hour now.

there's the difference seaoat....people want the 15 per hour now.


I get a great extra cheese sausage pizza on Fridays for 15 bucks. Yet, if I go to my daughters sixty miles away, I pay 23 bucks for the same pizza. I buy them in both places and the eight dollar differential is not stopping me from ordering pizza. If the 15 buck pizza goes to 17 bucks, I am still getting the pizza. I currently leave a five buck tip and give a twenty when I pick up the pizza. I figure the other pizza is eight bucks higher and not as good. I want to support the better pizza and I always leave a good tip. I have noticed that we get a lot of extra cheese.