If you are against a $15 an hour minimum wage in California you are not like me!

The incumbent Richard Pan voted yes to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next several years in California. Fantastic, on this major issue I agree with him. Given the many assets that California has, like being coastal, the weather here, our geography, and our large population, we are in a good position among the states to be a leader.

However, getting into further issues pertaining to the lower-middle class, I believe more needs to be done, and quickly. Now I should mention, as someone who has worked as an over the road truck driver and independent contractor, it is worth pointing out that neither of these groups will be affected directly by a rising minimum wage. I believe, to be a bit conservative, that's the way it has to be, not a major flaw in the legislation, although I'd like to see a minimum wage applied to Uber and Lyft drivers given my experience as an Uber driver at a time when their rates for driving appeared to decrease greatly, meaning if those rideshare drivers are not making even the current minimum wage in California during the time passengers are in their vehicle not even factoring in costs such as gas, then it's a problem.

Now to discuss Richard Pan the incumbent again, he cosponsored along with several other lawmakers a bill that would have required 75% of California university teachers to have been employed full-time, SB 373, but it did not pass. I would like to try to pass somewhat similarly legislation that would require any employer with more than 8 employees, albeit a university, a Walmart, or anybody else with hourly employees, to employ at least 75% of their people full-time. There may be people who don't even want to work full-time anyway so this percentage if anything may be a bit liberal meaning too high, and certainly I'd be open to suggestions on this idea. 

Clearly there is a concern that certain businesses such as manufacturers will see the minimum wage going up and flee to Nevada or elsewhere. And of course the state does not control interstate commerce under the Constitution so we can't stop businesses from leaving. We need to stay competitive given the higher minimum wage I'd say by keeping housing prices reasonably low. I know this may not be popular with many homeowners, but in my opinion when the minimum wage goes up housing prices should not go up with it. If ordinary workers are getting paid significantly more and are still struggling to pay their bills because of rising housing costs we will not be nearly as competitive as a state in my estimation and although only time could prove this, it's best to be ahead of time as any worker could tell you. When the minimum wage goes up workers should have more cash in the bank to spend at McDonald's for example so business booms and they can afford to pay workers $15 an hour.