I Left My Heart in San Francisco: $10 Minimum Wage

      San Francisco in January will become the first city to have a $10 minimum wage-technically $10.24. The city in 2003 mandated that the miniumum wage keep up with inlfation and rise every year.

      http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/sf-us-city-top-10-minimum-wage-15136943

      "While the city is at the forefront of attempting to provide a decent living wage, most employees say it's still not a wage to live on, that the 32-cent hike seems like peanuts. And some employers say it could lead to layoffs by small businesses already forced to pay federal, state and city payroll taxes as well as a slew of other city-mandated taxes."

     "Karl Kramer of the San Francisco Living Wage Coalition said a decent wage for a single adult without children in the city would be $15, and that doubles when you have at least one child or more. But like other advocates of better wages, he's still pleased that San Francisco will be the first in the nation to top $10."

     "It helps workers' morale in a time of economic crisis; they feel that they're able to tread water and get some relief from the recession," said Kramer.

     Of course there are naysayers:  "While the city is at the forefront of attempting to provide a decent living wage, most employees say it's still not a wage to live on, that the 32-cent hike seems like peanuts. And some employers say it could lead to layoffs by small businesses already forced to pay federal, state and city payroll taxes as well as a slew of other city-mandated taxes.

   "While the city is at the forefront of attempting to provide a decent living wage, most employees say it's still not a wage to live on, that the 32-cent hike seems like peanuts. And some employers say it could lead to layoffs by small businesses already forced to pay federal, state and city payroll taxes as well as a slew of other city-mandated taxes."

    "Daniel Scherotter, chef and owner of Palio D'Asti, an upscale Italian restaurant in the Financial District, said the city's minimum wage hike from $9.92 to $10.24 means that his highest-paid employees — the waiters who make most of their income from tips — will see more money in their pockets while his salaried kitchen staff will have to take the hit."

    Scherotter says he can't risk raising prices to make up the difference so he actually has had to make eight layoffs since the recession hit.

    There's no question that $10.24 is very boderline as a living wage. Maybe some places you could make it-down South for instance. Certainly not so easy in places with a high cost of living like San Francisco or here in my neck of the woods here in NY.

   I guess one thing Scherotter could do is lower prices Maybe that would bring in more volume though not seeing what his costs are it's tough to say. Still $10.24 will get you much further than $7.25-the federal wage. Still it's great that it's at $10 an hour though not so great if you can't find a job in the first place.