Is minimum wage too low for teens?

I worked as a jr. counselor in a summer camp. Room and board plus plenty of spare time to use the facilities. We here happy if we got $50 to take home at the end of the season. That's probably like $500 now for 8 weeks. We were helping kids. But we still go to be kids. I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

One year I went over to Mrs. Drysdales a couple of times a week. My friends used to ask me to say hi to Jed and Jethro.

She was the lively widow of some big Detroit car mucky muck. I did soup to nuts. Helping her get together her tax stuff, writing anywhere between 5 and a dozen checks each day to charities, vacuuming, keeping her entertained with my college stories. Her mother, who was about 5000 years old and batty as hell would take about an hour and a half to make us 3 sandwiches and lemonade. I think moms was heavily spiked with vodka.

She tested me once. At the time I was annoyed, but I'd probably do the same today.
She never wore much jewelry that I noticied, just being around the house. Once she asked me to vacuum her bedroom, which she'd never done before. She made this big deal about making sure I got around her dresser. The old kind that had a big mirror and chair, like to get ready for a gala.

I realized what she was up to when I saw in plain sight, where even mom could have seen, some gold and diamond bracelet on the rug in front of the dresser. Not exactly something you'd just drop.
I just picked it up and laid it out right in the middle on the makeup area, on display. Didn't say anything.

10 minutes later she's all "Oh Chai! WHERE did you find this? I've been looking ALL over!"

I was her darling after that.

At the end of the season, she threw this bash and seriously, there was some big money there at the party.

She had a caterer, but she asked me if I could find a friend so she and I could serve drinks, hors d'oeuvres, clean up afterwards and stuff. She had this yacht theme going on and wanted to know if I had anything like that to wear.

I said "You mean nautical but nice?" (very punny)

Yes! Make sure you ask a really cute friend, you know what I mean....

Me and my girlfriend Patty showed up in pretty much matching sailor outfits, and it was funny how many of the geezers there just "happened" get lost on the way to the bathroom or pool and found the kitchen instead.

Mom got wasted and carried off to bed, and the scotch and water flowed.

Afterwards, cleaning up, Mrs. D. came to the kitchen and said "Oh sit girls, sit. You've worked enough. Come have drink with me."

It was really nice, sitting by the pool with Mrs. D, watching the moon on the ocean, having a cigarette and a couple cocktails.

We had it good then, eh?

yep

Minimum wage for a teen living at home for free, with no bills to pay, is good pocket money.

Yes, this is very true, especially for kids growing up in the inner City. These are the kids who really could use the money. I grew up in the inner City of Chicago and during both High School and part of College, I worked full time in the Summer and part -time in the School year.

One job among several others, that paid fairly well, was that of Hot Dog vendor on the street using a little heated wagon, supplied by one of the owners of an entertainment business. The Hot Dogs were sold, outdoors to street folks, who were walking by or just waiting for the bus.

In those days, the area was pretty safe. But today, if you sold a hot dog on the street in that neighborhood, you'd stand an excellent chance of being shot in the head.

The best customers with the biggest tips were supposedly members of the Chicago mafia.

I kept all of my jobs through 2-4 years of high school and 4 years of undergraduate College. I had a 4 year undergraduate scholarship, which was very good for me which covered 100%of my tuition. During graduate school, I had a complete College scholarship ( for research ), which paid well and I also had free tuition,so I really didn't need any extra money.

I feel deeply for the kids who , today grow up in large inner Cities. They need jobs for both the experience and for the money. Most, if not all of these kids are ernest and willing to work hard, if only someone would give them a chance.

Hopefullly, these kids will be given a chance.

When i was living in Columbus, Ohio (actually the suburb of Hilliard) in 2005, the Federal minimum wage was $5.15. Local teenagers would not work for that amount, so the local fast food joints--Mickey D's, Burger King, etc.--started paying $10,00 an hour. There was a very large Latin American population there, though, so when the kids went back to school in the Fall, they snapped up all those jobs. They were very happy to get a job that paid that much.

Many cities and states have implemented minimum wages which are far more realistic. In 2014, San Francisco passed a ballot measure to raise the city's minimum wage from $10.74/hour to $15.00 over a brief period of time (by 2018). According to their records, 77% of voters approved the measure. It was in response to Seattle raising their minimum wage to $15.00/hour. Washington, DC and sixteen states have also raised their minimum wages. They call it a living wage. The Republicans in Congress stated that they would not approve a rise in the minimum wage to $10.10/hour before legislation was even introduced. Mr. Obama raised the minimum wage to $10.10/hour for any Federal contractors by executive order--a completely legal move on his part.

Here's a good piece on this subject from CNN Money

A few comments on this thread have mentioned the availability of part-time employment at Country Club-type affairs. During my early youth on the SouthSide of Chicago, most if not all Country Clubs were open for membership for only white individuals. Neither Jews nor Afro-Americans were allowed memberships.

Mrs. Obama referred to this fact a few years ago, when she commented on her marriage to Mr. Obama and that it took place at the South Shore Country Club.

Good for her! And I'll say, that Country Club sure took it's long tedious time in granting Jews and people of color mambership status!