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California's $15-an-Hour Minimum Wage May Spur Automation (computerworld.com)
An anonymous readers links to an article on ComputerWorld: For many California business groups, the state's decision to gradually raise its minimum wage to $15 by 2022 is a terrible thing. But for its technology industry, it may be a plus. Higher wages, says the California Restaurant Association, will force businesses to face "undesirable" options, including cutting staff, raising prices and adopting automation. But a higher minimum wage will "signal to tech companies and entrepreneurs" to look at the restaurant industry, said Darren Tristano, president of Technomic, a research group focused on the restaurant industry. The state's governor and legislators reached an agreement Monday to raise the wages. "I think there are a lot of tech companies that are looking at the restaurant industry to accelerate their growth," said Tristano. The restaurant industry is primed for change, said Tristano, "Many of the routines that take place in restaurants are not very different from 30 to 40 years ago," he said.
This is the Republican agenda. Outsource, Offshore, Automate. Anything to avoid paying human beings a living wage to do the work. $15/hr, gosh, I could hire 10 Indians for that! The mantra of Republicans is "I Got Mine, So Fuck You!" Why should you have a job? Why should you have health care? Why should you even be alive if you haven't bootstrapped yourself to my status? I worked hard to inherit a million dollars and I can afford what I need, so you can go get fucked, you whining pleb!
Having changed the corporate outlook from 5 or 10 years to just the next 3 months, Republicans and their PROFIT UBER ALLES attitude are destroying America.
"If there was a gay Afro-Puertorican Linux distribution, I'd give it a try" ~lucm
Fine, if the greedy One Percent wants to react once again by threatening to cut the jobs of their dependent serfs, then perhaps this time the serfs will convincingly threaten to revolt unless they get a universal wage in return for not being wage slaves and being only and merely consumers of the mass production lines' output.
This, BTW, is the same dynamic that happens during every so-called recession: the 99 Percent somehow gains a transactional upper hand over the One Percent and reduces their profit margins, to which the One Percent promptly retaliates by cutting jobs and other tactics to preserve their profits and make those who would dare challenge them suffer. The recession begins with a minor victory by the 99 percent, and ends with the One Percent's return to complete dominance. A recession is a failed revolt. It's real life imitating the art of Bilbo Baggins trying to plunder a single trinket from Smaug's mountainous horde and Smaug reacting by burning the whole village.