What a great idea!
Continue to price ourselves out of the market!
This is such a stupid debate. Minimum wage is for entry level workers to get their first job. After some actual experience with an employer, the new employee learns about policy and procedures, and work ethics.

If you do not want minimum wage all your life, go to school or join the military.

Don't even bother slamming on the school thing due to economics. I returned as an adult learner on my dime. I got student loans and planned for the whole thing.

It is so sad to see some people still working the McDonald's front counter still after 15 or 20 years. they have not even moved into a senior role.

This is why we should not raise the minimum wage. A lack of adequate income should motivate workers to get some training and advance to a career.

We are in the middle of a global recession.

Wrong time to ask for a raise.

Think, people, think.

Minimum Wage, Increase it to $10/hr. Isn't that a 25% increase. I wonder if these employers can increase there products that they vend by 25%. Sure, give them the increase, employers shut down there operations with in 6 months. and get them on the dole.

Reasonable method would be, increase it over the next 8 years, 25 cents at a time.

Yep, it is true, a lot of people work minimum wage for a extended period. They complain about it, but will not make any effort to educate themselves to find better paying jobs.

Going to school is a long haul. CNC wants 3 years to upgrade and the GED is nothing. Then it's 2 years for most of the programs/ Lets see here I am 39 hmmm maybe pay off those student lones in my next life. Not all people have had a solid background to just go sit in a class and educate during their teens. I guess maybe I should of put up with my Dad beating my face in while I studied. Looking out while he bust my mums ribs in because he was mad. You can't put all these people down man. We all come from different backgrounds that has dictated what we are today. That is life. You can't beat the shit out of those who are just trying to live enough said Chris living downtown.

If you had actually read my post, you would have noted that I did not have "a solid background to just go sit in a class and educate during their teens." I returned to school and entered my college program at age 32, and I was not the oldest. My loans are now paid off, it took me 6 years.

I am sorry to hear that you are from an abusive environment. You have moved out, but you have not moved on. I implore to to rise above your upbringing and become the man your father was not. I would be happy to give you an ear to listen to you or a shoulder to cry on if that is what it takes. Ask, and I would do everything in my power to help you into and through a successful program.

Enough has not been said yet, there are still too many untrained, under-educated Canadians.

A minor correction. The wage beginners get for their first job is not the minimum wage, it is the starting wage. It is $6 per hour I believe. If you remember, when Campbell was first elected he introduced a wage lower than the "minimum" wage and called it the "starting" wage. In other words, the minimum a BC employee can be paid is not the minimum wage but the starting wage.

Confused? That's Liberal logic!

The minimum wage ia a permanent rate for any employee no matter how old they are and how long they have been employed.

Yep. Best way to stay off of minimum wage is to stay in school (and not just high school, that's not enough) and get an education.

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Loki. Must be a blue moon. :)

I appreciate that Loki. I am without words as to your kindness. I am on this site lots. Good website for local stuff. I am a person that learns much of everything on my own. I have learned how to build computers last five years or so if not longer. I am right into fitness. I ski cross country and down hill. I workout and love to run on the treadmill. I play guitar. I accidentally busted it a few weeks ago but thats okay I can get another one. I mountain bike everywhere even in winter and would like to travel in the future. Europe would be cool. My grandmother was from England. I would like to talk more to you. That is the nicest thing I have read on the internet. Ummm the only thing is how to do this. I don't want to just throw out my first and last name for the whole world to see. There must be a way to connect.. If there isn't then yes I will post my Email or phone number. Thanks Chris

Is it ever a good time to ask for a Raise, how many of us Readers here are on Minimum Wage ?

I may be crazy, but not stupid. Once in a while people will agree with one of my ideas. It really does not matter if you ever agree with me, that is what debate is. Hopefully we can all grow individually and as a unified voice of reason.

To be clear, I mean exactly what I type without any hidden agenda and only a little bit of innuendo. It helps if you take the meaning as it is expressed and not manipulated by your perception of reality.

I didn't say that it mattered that I agreed with you, just shocked that it happened.

As for hidden agendas, everybody's got 'em, whether you think so or not. In any case, it doesn't matter why people post... hence the Opinion of Opinion250.

I understand I have lived in Prince George 8 years this month and I find it to be the hardest place I have ever lived. There are very few that have good jobs. There is a lot of drugs and crime and that is fact. I try every day to keep healthy and keep sane in a insane place. I have been offered to return to Ontario after being in BC twenty years on my own. It is not something I wish to do. I am the only one up here. I have a lot of family. 6 uncles and 23 cousins in BC and Alberta. But not close to any of them. Opinion 250 is a good place to keep me informed and it is part of my sanity. Real friends here are very hard to find. I have given up on trying to find a partner, wife what ever you call it. I guess having a child is out. Most people my age have had them and they don't or won't marry again. I have been told to move but where would I go. I am stable here. But this is a mean ass town to live in. Maybe someone might read what I post on this site and gain a friend or two. I will stay positive. Like I say friends are hard to find. Anyone who says that they have lots of friends is fooling themselves. You may have a friend at your death bed. If you do then you are very lucky. Luck has a lot to do with Canadian society. So without getting to much off topic I will try and go back to CNC in Jan try to upgrade again. But have a good day

Chris, i was born and raised in the area. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Lot of people like to dwell on negatives, but look a little deeper than you will find a lot of opportunities.

If you hang out with a bunch a crows, you end up cawwing also. Hang out with the Eagles, and then slowly you will learn to soar and be on top of the pyramid.

There is a lot people in this town that made a lot of money, putting in there time, and slowly building wealth.

Yes I understand that. But you know I see what I see. Look I am here for the long haul and I will see for myself. I have reached out to some of the churches here. I went to the Gateway church this past Sunday and yeah it was okay. Not to say everyone that is a church goer is healthy. But being that I live downtown here I do try and seek out those who are not drug addicted and desperate. Yeah it's cheap rent down here but as you guys know it has it's draw backs. I am glad to have this site open up a bit more. I'm in the middle of my workout. I head back to the site every once in while. One of the advantages of working out at home. Some have asked why did I moveed up here from the Island? I tend to ask the same question to new people as well. I guess the Island is just to expensive to many people and I have combed enough of our beaches to give it up for a pair of skies eh. There are keys reasons why I stay and it's not that I can't leave it's more the town does grow on ya.

It is true that the cost of housing is still relatively cheap in comparison to the rest of the popular populated areas.

The key to success in living up here, for the long run, is to have a plan. In that plan is to own a place to live.

yeah I get ya on that one He Spoke. Lets face it downtown is not for a life time. Two years down here. I am planing on moving out into something better for say Dec 1st. I am not ready to move yet. Soon but not yet. I'll buy something later on.

It is amazing to me how easy it is to jump up and down on the poorest and the weakest in society. Any addled brain reason will do to justify not giving a little more at the bottom of the wage scale yet praise those that vote themselves humungous pay raises and huge pension checks for life after only a few years work.Work? Did I say Work? Lets see - gladhanding, kissing butt, ribbon cutting, posing for photo-ops, etc. etc.

oh for sure most of these people are ass kissers thats how they got rich to begin with.. Lets be real about it.

The only way to get rich is to sell everyone nothing for something. Theres a lot of that going around. I can't believe the prices have gone up so much since we entered this economic crisis. 30.00 for a lawnmower blade??? That's from a local dealer! Sears is 14.99 same blade.

I remember making minimum wage when I got a job after graduating high school. I believe it was $5/hr back in 1993. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It gave you some experience and got you into the workforce.

What the Fed. of Labour might not understand is that raising the minimum wage has an effect on all the jobs in the marketplace. If you are experienced at what you do and are making $11/hr and the minimum wage jumps to $10/hr are you going to be satisfied when the boss hires a new employee at $10/hr.....NOT LIKELY

You used to make $3/hr more than minimum wage and then it's only $1/hr. So why aren't they content to say $9/hr why is it always $10/hr? I checked the minimum wages in Canada and the average right now is only $8.78. Why don't we go to $8.50 or $8.75. Makes logical sense to me.

"oh for sure most of these people are ass kissers thats how they got rich to begin with.. Lets be real about it."

It's too bad this kind of attitude exists. I guess without these kinds of people, there wouldn't be anyone to work for minimum wage.

To get ahead, you have to play well with others. If you can't deal with that, then life will be harder for you, no question.

Any job ad = 1. team player. 2. self starter. 3. good communication skills.

One does not have to go to school for that. As they say, everything you ever need to know is taught in the kindergarten sandbox.

MrPG has it right.

I agree.

I can teach anybody something that I can do.
It is much harder to teach them something that I am.

If they are already the "kind" of person I can put to work, then we're halfway there.

Chrislivingdowntown,

Prince George is a gritty mill town full of blue collar workers. You have to look a little deeper to see the sparkle and shine here.

Also, I noticed that the local colleges are packed with ladies looking to further themselves personally, and to get further ahead in life.
Seems like a great environment for two people who are both looking to improve themselves, and their position in life, to meet.
Two incomes are much better than one and relieve a lot of the financial pressure of two people living on a single income.

Always be moving forward, moving ahead. Always be doing something to better yourself or better your life.

The rewards are a little harder to see, because they come year by year, not day by day.

This system is so sure to work, that I personally guarantee it. If you are not completely satisfied, I'll give you all of Dan Rogers' money back.

I had a similar background to you, Chris...and I am by no means working for minimum wage. I did it all myself too, no loans or bursaries, just lots of work and no sleep. You need a plan and you need focus. Stay with it and it works every time. Look ahead, not back.