This comment just rubbed me the wrong way...

[Token Republican]

94. Respectfully disagree

Our views reflect a fundamental difference on how wages are viewed.

One side (dare I say the right side, pun intended) would say that her job is worth based upon her value to the company. Her pay would be justified by showing that the company makes at least $16 and hour for every hour she works. If the company grows and needs better paid fork lift operators to further allow additional profit, then in theory (conceded that practice does not always equal theory) her wage would increase correspondingly.

The other side (the non right side, pun intended again) is essentially arguing from a command economy perspective; that using minimum wage as a baseline, someone with X skill is worth minimum wage plus X and someone with a Y skill is worth minimum wage plus Y.

While I disagree with your premise, I am open to understanding your point of view. To that end, one specific question would be extremely helpful. You made the assumption that skilled forklift operators are worth $8 more than minimum wage. How exactly is the $8 determined? Because you later said that if minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, forklift operators should make $23/hour.

Contrast with the market view, by saying that skilled forklift operators make $16 an hour because they are worth that much to the company.

The way I see it, market driven wages is a very different animal than minimum wage. Minimum wage is essentially an arbitrary amount set by the government. This amount might very well be justified socially, but it has no bearing on the value a minimum wage employee brings to a company economically. Left to their own devices, many employees have exploited and continue to exploit minimum wage workers, simply because they are easily replaced. But that's worthy of a whole different thread.

The point here is when a minimum wage figure is mixed with a wage set more or less by market forces, the two don't always mesh, and I'm trying to understand your line of thinking.