This is the end of capitalism as we know it! Everybody panic!!!!!

Has anyone heard from Seattleblahs? He's not answering his fax.....

Workers didn't win anything, the republicans saw to that.

Let me try... The city hates businesses and employed people, and only wants everyone to be sucking on the government teat, so they are dependent and unable to care for themselves, and they will take our guns, and our religion, and make us gay marry the disgusting gays, who are barely even human, and god would smite if he was paying attention, and then they will pipe in the soviet national anthem to all public places, making everyone become filthy atheist communists!!1!one!1!
Did I get it about right?

Best quote:

"the individual plaintiffs’ declarations in this matter consist only of speculation. There is no actual evidence of the alleged negative impacts that plaintiffs fear will occur as a result of the faster phase-in schedule."

Did someone forget to tell the high paid attorneys for the franchise association that they're supposed to present actual evidence in court?

Does anyone have a link to the actual decision?

Got it. Here's the link for anyone else interested: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lbbcef7ithr2op…

@5 - Of course not - they dare not present actual empirical evidence, because most of the epirical evidence out there shows that hiring isn't really affected all that much. What will happen is the price of bottom-end burgers will rise ever so slightly, and people will buy fewer of them and as volume declines, so will the profitability - ever so slightly - of these franchises. They won't go out of business. That's what all the whinging is about. It will help small business owners who are already unable to sustain worker-bot turnover and therefore have to pay higher wages already: either they'll get more volume, or they'll raise prices and wages and volume will remain constant.

Hit post too quick...

...and of course, the fact that this time their arguments are proven false will in no way stop us from having to re-litigate this both in the courts and in public opinion...endlessly.

God is officially dead, Y'shua is now forced into gay marriage and capitalism cannot ever exist again - permanently.
Satan has multiple orgasms every time a worker gets an hourly pay increase.

There is a simple solution for these business owners in order for them to meet payroll. Lay off some workers or reduce their hours. Do more with less. Become more efficient. Get rid of the dead wood.

Coupla fun facts:
The losing plaintiffs' lead attorney is former Solicitor General under Bush and noted conservative shitbird Paul Clement. From fighting gay marriage to battling worker pay raises, very happy he keeps losing.

And the Judge Richard Jones who wrote this lovely ruling (thanks politicking @7) is Rashida Jones's uncle, Quincy Jones's half brother.

As a franchisee attorney, I have watched the IFA botch this entire case from the beginning. They have been so damned focused on representing the franchisors that they have done a crap job of representing the franchisees who will be hurt by the roll out. Franchisees pay 7-10% of their net sales to the franchisor and can't do much to adjust their business model because franchise agreement and the operations model give the franchisor exclusive control over many aspects of the business. They don't have the ability to "get rid of the dead wood" without violating their franchise agreement and risking losing their store. It's terribly business model for the franchisees As to hiring Paul Friggin Clement to handle the case that was just a bonehead move. The IFA doesn't understand that people don't like corporations and aren't real concerned about their "rights."

Local small businesses in Seattle continued to grow & expand. Unemployment at record low, almost a full 2 points lower than the rest of the state. $16 in 2016!

@13) Sounds like the franchisees are at the mercy of the voluntary, private sector agreements they as capitalists entered into. Free Market! Invisible Hand!!

Unless you are arguing that anyone whose voluntary, private business model is not benefited by an enacted law may thereby rightfully claim discrimination and be exempted? Free Market! Even if there is no foundation to their claims? Free Market!! Invisible Hand!!

I think we underestimate the greed corporations are capable of. If they could have fewer workers or fewer hours while still maximizing profits they already would have. In other countries people are flipping burgers for the same franchises while make a living wage and those corporations still continue to do business there. What's the difference? Government.

Businesses are not in the business of providing jobs for the masses. They are in business for the sole reason to make profits. Neither was the minimum wage ever meant to be a living wage for the uneducated or unskilled. It was meant to be a wage for entry level workers, primarily unskilled high school students. A burger flipper should not be paid more than a member of our armed forces. I know many of you have "each according to his abilities, to each according to his need" tattooed on your bodies, but if you really want success in the market place get an education or learn a trade. Stop sponging off the successful.

@18) And while we're at it, what's up with these stooopid fucking child labor laws? And only 40 hours per week? Stop sponging you lazy fucks!

@18) And you are patently WRONG, factually & intellectually. Minimum wage law was enacted as "fair day's wage for a fair days's work" (sayeth FDR). Nothing about entry level teenagers anywhere,

@21 - Right? People always say this about the minimum wage, that it was always "meant" to be for students and teenagers. 2 things -

One. Like you say, Minimum wage is "meant" to be whatever the fuck people decide it is meant to be. Why the fuck would anyone work at a job if not to then live on the wages?

Two. The idea that the minimum wage was originally meant to be only for students is laughably inaccurate. It was adopted in the United States universally in 1938, and as part of the labor movement, not so fucking teenage part-time workers would have a minimum standard of living. Why would you even need to determine a minimum standard of living for teenagers living at home? Jesus, where do they even get this shit? In the 1970's, it was de-coupled from inflation, and required an act of Congress to raise it, which resulted in a predictable nose-dive in its real value.

@18: And is a burger-flipper at minimum wage paid more per year than an active-duty soldier? Answer me that.

Texas candidate for governor Wendy Davis ran on a VERY progressive platform which included raising the minimum wage from 7.25 to $10 an hour...she lost by a landslide to Republican Greg Abbott. So, are there NO working class people in Texas? And how on Earth will this $15/hour nonsense ever pass in Texas if a candidate advocating for $10 hour couldn't even win? Why can't any of you answer this question?
Oh, and any extra money I get out of this between now and my move to the great Red State of Texas will be split between going to finance my move and what I donate to the GOP. None of it will go into the Seattle economy, which I hope burns down, taking the liberals with it.
Come to Texas Sawant. I am sure your socialism will be warmly received in the Lone Star State: http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/…

@16
That business model worked before the big wrench thrown into it by big government. Government defining wages for a burger flipper is as far from "free market, invisible hand" as you can get.

@15
And that is because a higher mw IS NOT IN PLACE YET! Of course they are going to open their business because most of them SIGNED THEIR LEASES BEFORE THIS WAS PASSED! Give it a few years and see what happens. No, Seattle will not turn into a ghost town, but it will be harder if not impossible for high school drop-outs, people with felony convictions and recent immigrants with developing English language skills to find jobs as employers will demand much more quality if they are paying $15/hour.
As usual, liberal short-sightedness is at play.

@18: I'm with @25 venomlash: I don't EVER remember being paid a paltry minimum wage while serving in the U.S. Navy (of course, this was back in 1989-93, and not 2015)-even as an enlistee! We had full medical and paid leave on top of our bi-monthly pay. Life (for me, anyway) then was sure better than what's being offered for burger flippers now!
By the way, is the federal minimum wage still at $7.25 per hour, no benefits, and I'm pretty confident that fast food employers still expect 40 hours worth of work done but only want to pay for 20, am I right?
I'd sure love to see a member of Congress try to live on THAT.

@27 & 28) Willfully uninformed and narrow-minded is a self-defeating way to lead your life (and I suspect that "fat, drunk and stupid" also applies here). We all do hope you can shake your afflictions.