Seattle and Minimum Wage

     In 2014, Seattle passed a minimum wage law that would increase its minimum wage over time from $9 per hour to $15 per hour. Minimum wage is one of the most relevant topics in today's topics, especially now during the democratic primaries. During these 6 years, several things have been happening, some of which I think are bound to have happened. In a fast food restaurant, workers have been working fewer hours and the restaurant had to raise their prices for the first time in a long time. Another restaurant business had to actually close its doors because it became too hard to pay the expensive rent for the property. On the other side of the spectrum with the workers, they seem to be having a much better time. According to minimum wage worker Martin Johnson (who actually works three different jobs), all of the workers seem to be living much happier lives and have higher self-esteems. Having high morale also means that working is easier and therefore more efficient.
     In both of the business examples I gave above, there seem to be only negative effects for businesses. However in the case of Fire & Vine everything has become better. Since the wage increase, the company has doubled in size. Perhaps for other businesses it's been hard because they try to do business the old way, paying their employees lower wages. With higher wages, maybe they just need a different business model, and everything will be okay. In my opinion I believe that wages should actually fluctuate, so that nothing bottoms out. The way I think of it is like this: In Yellowstone, whenever deer populations rise, the wolf populations rise, and when wolf populations rise the deer populations lower, and so on. This is what I think should happen with the wages for employees. When life of a worker gets too hard, the wages rise and things become harder for the business. When business gets too hard, then lower the wages again, and so on. It's a fragile system, but if it works it works.