link to original reddit post by /u/Hardened_Hooligan
Just wanted to share a personal story that I think demonstrates the evil of a minimum wage.
When I was 15, my life was hell. Lived alone with my Dad, he had drug problems and didn't make enough money to feed me. He refused to go on welfare or use charity because of his ego.
I made my way out of that situation by getting a summer job. I wouldn't have ever had the audacity to actually apply for a job. I was a scared, messed up little kid. I actually got directly approached by someone recruiting for this job at my high school. I somehow managed to get this job. It paid $8.00/hr. I could be away from home for most the summer, they gave me free food, and there were a lot of attractive female coworkers to talk to. As 15 year old, I definitely would have done the job for free. But they still paid me, and I took that 8.00/hr and I got my own laptop that summer. I didn't have to worry about being hungry anymore, because now I had money that was in my control.
I think that getting this job was a major turning point in my life. Before that, I was completely isolated and miserable. Never really experienced anything good. But because of this job, I learned about how fun it is to make money and work, the job forced me out of my comfort zone socially, and learned about how fun it is to be social and make friends. I finally became optimistic about life in general, and I started planning for my future. I got to be around adult authority figures that weren't complete assholes. It was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I worked there the next summer, they were excited to rehire me and they paid me 10/hr this time. That season, I made a goal when I started working. I was going to buy a car. I worked my face off this 2nd summer, I was always begging the bosses for overtime, I even tried to make some money on the side. Ended up with just enough money to buy a 1993 Civic, and about 2 months of (16 year old male) insurance for it.
This car enabled me to do so much. I wouldn't have been able to get rides for a part time job during the school year because the hours wouldn't have worked. But with the car, I got a part time job at a fast food place that paid 12/hr. Worked there for a year and a half, got my pay bumped up to 13/hr before I left that place.
I had saved up all that money for the year and a half to move out of the toxic, hellish environment I was raised in. Literally the very DAY I turned 18 moved to a new city far far away. Ended up blowing a head gasket on the civic on the way but that's a story for another time. When I got to this new city, I started at a university that is better than anything I could have dreamed of when I was 14 or 15.
I'm still 18, still going to this university, and I'm working a job that pays 16/hr. I plan to keep pressing forward in my career.
I seriously doubt any of this would have gone so well for me without getting that first job. I don't have a parallel universe, but this is my guess on what would have happened:
I would have stayed completely socially stunted, I would have continued on my path of failing classes and hating all my teachers. Probably would have dropped out of high school. Who knows what other horrible outcomes were possible.
I'm glad I personally won't be priced out of the market if minimum wage gets raised to 15 dollars an hour. But when I hear about it getting raised I almost want to cry for all the kids who are in situations like I was in that are getting robbed of these opportunities. Some of these kids that are getting robbed are probably in worse situations than I was in.
To anyone who thinks that a 15/hr job will approach 15 year olds in highschools asking them if they want to work, give me a fucking break. Half the time I was there I was just standing around, or screwing around with my coworkers. I work a job that pays more than 15 now, and let me tell ya, if you are getting paid 15 dollars an hour you won't be doing any standing around. I remember one time me and one of my coworkers though it would be funny if we said "run faster please" instead of "walk please." Yeah, that shit would not be tolerated for 15/hr.
People also say "well the youth minimum wage can be lower." This still distorts the labor market, the minimum wage should be 0 dollars.
If you MUST redistribute wealth, for the love of god please just raise taxes and increase welfare or something. Don't distort the labor market and rob children of the opportunity to create a better life for themselves.
Any other subs I should post this to where I won't get banned?