Bismarck, North Dakota News

" Increasing the minium wage would hurt us. Small buisnesses would be most affected, this would cause more ppl to shop at wal mart and would increase prices, and other low price places, would increase prices, inflation would go up. Not to mention majority of the ppl receiving minimum wage are teens, they dont need an increase. Raising the minimum wage will only make things workse... period. "

" Minimum wage is a joke. More jobs creates higher pay. Very few jobs in Bismarck are minimum wage anymore. With the new retail jobs the labor pool is small, employers have to pay more to attract and keep people. "

" What company was given a tax break to move overseas? Who gave the tax break? Where are the facts. If they are given breaks by our govt, then it is wrong. "

" People are working hard, doing all the right things and the American dream is getting farther away. It is wrong for American workers' productivity to constantly go up and our buying power go down. It is a set-up. Those with the power to set the rules insist on giving tax breaks to huge corporations to close US factories and and build another one overseas. Corporations can do that if they want to, but it should not be on our dime. "

" You are right, there are not enough good jobs for everyone. There are enough for the ones who are willing to earn the money though. I worked the same job as people that were averaging $5/hour or more less than me. Why? Because we were paid on productivity. They took breaks when there was work to be done and money to be made, and stood around when it was slow. Anyone that wanted to make money could. Same story here. The people that want to work hard will be rewarded. the rest will just sit around whining. "

" Well, good for you. You don't seem to know that there are not enough good jobs for every good, hard working North Dakotan to make $20 an hour. Wake up, bud. You cannot ignore the fact for the past 30 to 40 years we have had enormous efforts, political and economic power, used to push wages and earning power down. That has had a negative impact on buying power of American workers. That is not good for our economy and it is not good for our families or our future. We should raise the minimum wage and these legislators should be a whole lot bolder about promoting good economic policy like this. "

" To: Living Wage Wanted wrote on December 29, 2006 1:23 PM. - I read about the "dumbing down" of N.D. citizens by reading the blogs here in this paper where it is really evident! "

" I have been in the real world workforce for better than 20 years. The last time I relied on a minimum wage job was in 1983 while in college. I made the decision to drop out after 6 months, but I also made the decision to get a job that would pay enough to feed the family long before I made the decision to start a family. I have worked a min wage job since to help feed my desire for toys and so my new family addition could have real nice stuff, but not only was it not my bread and butter, but within a year I had escalated to almost $20/hour due to determination. That is what min wage jobs are. A temporary fund raiser, or a stepping stone to higher things. "

" Looks like you don't know much about the real world. We have had officials greasing the skids for lowering American wages for years. We help corporations take away the American dream for millions of families. That is the wrong way to go. Americans deserve better. It is long past time to raise the minimum wage. That is the very least we can do to improve our economy for hard working families. "

" This statement says it all: "North Dakota workers who earn the minimum wage aren't being paid enough to support a family." Duh! Minimum wage jobs are for young single college students to pay for beer and books until they get a college education while mommy and daddy cover most of the bills. That is why education is pushed so much. If you don't have the desire to do better than minimum wage, then you are getting what you are worth. Some people choose to work for this wage as a retirement supplement or as a way to get out and socialize, and that is great. No one has to work for anything less than they want. If you want more, strive for it. Supply and demand for jobs should drive the wage, not government. "

" These legislators are so timid. We need a living wage. I am a business owner and an increase in the minimum wage will help business, not hurt. How can people afford to buy anything if they don't make more??? Have some guts, guys. "

" I still hear this "giant sucking sound" of all the people who graduate from colleges and universities in N.D. leaving in droves to better wage paying states. We not only need a better paying "LIVING" wage here in N.D. but we also need to address the salary and wages of the outgoing college graduates and professionals leaving N.D. for "greener" pastures. The "brain drain" is adversely affecting the "gene pool" in North Dakota. Let's just call it the "dumbing down" of the citizens in N.D. "

" Seventy cents increase to ND minimum wage per year until 2009? It would be better for Democrats to propose $7.25 /hr beginning in 2007 since it probably will be raised by the Feds next year anyway. Then ND citizens could see how their State Reps and Senators weigh in on this issue. "