ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Introduction
The Final Argument outlined in the final paper will be in regards to the fight to increase the minimum wage particularly with note on fast food industries like McDonalds and who this want of a higher minimum wage affects our modern day society. With the want of a higher minimum wage we have seen a cause of this to possibly be the decline in attendance of higher education as people are doing what they can to find ways to survive and take care of their families in the current economy. These implications have led to an increase in poverty rates which in turn cost the tax payers much more in able for the government to fund welfare programs. “The rise of minimum wages will offset unemployment rates but will also force employers to cut working hours in order to meet the demand of their workers while keeping small business afloat” (Goto, 2012, p. 193). This continuing issue is going to require help from Federal government programs for education that will allow compensation to employers that are assisting their employees with higher education. It will not only end poverty but allow the non-educated to become educated so that the raise of minimum wage is earned and gained with purpose.
Thesis
The fix of this societal issue of minimum wage rates is to become more educated by assistance programs available from the Federal Government.
Annotated Bibliography
Ashta, A. (2013). A Minimum Wage Solution to halving World Poverty by 20115: A Stake
Holders approach. IIMB Management Review, 256-18. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/science/article/pii/S0970389612001188?_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb&ccp=y
This article, written by Arvin Ashta, dives into finding the solution in order to close the gaps that have been created with poverty and minimum wage issues. There is no doubt that there are many issues surrounding this topic, but Ashta puts into words that, “the solutions include central planning with participatory development, property rights, education, finance, microfinance and public sector employment” (Ashta, 2013, p. 256). This way that this article is written shows that there are many ways to improve our way of living in the most basic ways. There is an emphasis of these improvement areas put on those people who are demanding higher minimum wages in the fast food industries like McDonalds.
What people in the fast food industries seem to be forgetting these days, is that with the advances being made with technology, rather than raise their minimum wages, employers are going to find new ways of conducting business. One of these technology advances comes in the form of electronic Kiosk machines which have already begun to make appearance in many fast food restaurants across the world. Minimum wages employees who are demanding higher wages are already finding their jobs to be replaced by machines who don’t have a demand to make $15.00 an hour. So many people who are making these demands lack the basic moral standards of discipline and respect and don’t have the education to back up their work. It is very possible to help bring them out of the welfare system but they choose not to seek ways of furthering their education and experience.
Goto, H. (2012). The Optimal Minimum Wage for Poverty Minimization. Bulletin of Economic
Research, 64(2), 192-208. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=e7ae08ca-fc2b-4855-a512-29fd6f0bf0bb%40sessionmgr4008
This article, by Hideaki Goto from Japan, discusses the more relevant issues that will allow us as a whole to fight the minimum wage issues at hand. It also goes into how competitive wages are met by people experience and educational levels. The article fights the argument of how or why we help people who lack basic education and experience. Why are people working in the fast food industries seeking a wage of $15.00 an hour when someone with a college degree and education in some parts of the world is making less than that? It doesn’t make much sense.
The information in this article will allow me to discuss the comparative issues between the educated and experienced vs the non-educated and less experienced. I am not saying that people in the fast food industry have no experience that would allow them to make a higher wage, but simply discussing that they may have less experience or education than others. Everyone, no matter their background, has the ability to have a better future and career if they simply just put their mind to becoming better.
Kang, S. Y., & Godwyll, F. (2008). Poverty, Education and Development. Nova Science
Publishers. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford-ebooks/reader.action?docID=3018900&query
Francis Godwyll and SoYoung Kang talk about the poverty lines and the differences between the fast food industry versus corporate America. There are many companies who will hire people who have a formal education and start them off at $15.00 an hour and much higher sometimes. With this being said it is almost unfair to start a fast food employee at $15.00 when they have no education simply because they feel that they are under paid.
Higher earnings, without education or experience is absurd in many ways. We all have the ability to fight for ourselves and let our voices be heard but to demand a higher minimum wage simply because you feel that you can’t get out of the poverty lines is crazy. It is time for people to become grown-ups and put in the work to get some sort of higher education and look for ways to gain experience and earn the higher wages that are being asked for.
Sabia, J. J. & Burkhauser, R. V. (2010). Minimum Wages and Poverty: Will a $9.50 Minimum
Wage really help the Working Poor? Southern Economic Journal, 76(3), 592-623. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=a4711569-45b3-45f1-ad9a-e45143007ec9%40sessionmgr4007
Joseph Sabia and Richard Burkhauser discuss the possibly of slight raises to the minimum wage rate allowing welfare programs to hold less stress. There are many people in the fast food industries who have no formal degree or education, but they are demanding wages that are more than the national average. Many employers who are fighting this battle have decided to cut hours in order to offset the prices that they will pay in the increased wages and even replaced employees with electronic kiosks all together.
In the article it is also discussed that the industry of fast food only be available to high school and college students who are looking to make a few bucks while furthering their educational goals. Although this is a great idea the ability to make it happen is a little far-fetched. Current employees who are seeking this extra pay are almost too far gone when it comes to having the ambition for further education themselves in order to earn the wages they ask for.
Schumaker, P., & Kelly, M.J. (2013). The Public Assistance Policies of Cities and the Justice
Concerns of Elected Officials. Policy Studies Journal 41(1), 70-96. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=7d1dd56b-f36e-47db-9468-f7c621dedb83%40sessionmgr103
This article makes some very interesting points in regards to individuals getting a little better assistance from welfare programs when they are enrolled in local community colleges. However, many of the people who are wanting to use these assistance programs are faced with personal issues like finding care for their children while they are at school. There is only a certain amount of assistance that is offered by the government for these issues and the rest is up to the individual. I understand that there are many people out there who are doing what they can to further educate themselves for that they can earn more money and get out of the poverty hole, but they simply can only do so much without any assistance.
This is not true for everyone though, as many people who are just trying to take advantage of the system are just lazy in a sense that they want things given to them and don’t want to put in the time or effort to become better. The authors state, “the rich should be taxed to accommodate their living expenses; welfare recipient’s just want however studies indicate community –based organizations have united in order to provide financial aid to those in need” (Schumaker et al., 2013, p. 72). This sentence from the article is perfect, it shows that we all have the ability to bring ourselves out of poverty and if we address our own personal behavior and work hard for what we want rather than be given it by society then we will be better off.