Raising the minimum wage would help get America out of its recession.

First of all, thank you for the opportunity for a good debate. Next, I will proceed to attack my opponent's case. Voters, I would like you to notice that he has a chain reaction of events - therefore, if I can prove that one of the base arguments isn't true, then none of their other impacts will happen. Their first subpoint, referring to how jobs will be cut, has been empirically denied. The 1990-1991 recession proves this point. (1) As a voter of this debate round, I would like for you to think about this for a second. Which is more likely - something that is a mere 'guess', or something that has been proven in the past? The argument I am trying to make here is that you should always follow empirically proven data before you listen to guesses. Their next subpoints, two and three, are talking about how this will cause inflation. My response to this is that A) It's actually the other way around. Historically, inflation has risen up the minimum wage prices. But, currently, the market is incredibly inflated, and the minimum wage hasn't kept up. (2) B) Even if you do not believe my argument above that has been proven in the past, I would like to point out that there is no real evidence that companies will raise their prices if the minimum wage goes up. A lot of American companies today are barely holding on. They realize that if they raise their prices any higher (especially with all of the current inflation), they will loose business. That is something they cannot afford. So, they won't raise their prices. I would like to stop for a moment to point out that if I win these arguments above, that again, have been historically proven, then the rest of their case doesn't matter. From points 4 and on, it is dependent on this inflation. Now, I am going to move onto my case. 1. Raising the minimum wage would allow for those that make minimum wage to have more money to spend. Please take a look at their seventh subpoint. It says that "When people have less savings, they spend less. Also, they feel less secure". But, with more money, they can spend more. This will allow for more companies to be able to sustain themselves. (1) 2. Raising the minimum wage would allow for families to be able to have economic security for the future. (1) This economic security has an important implication: A) This heightened economic security will allow for more parents to be able to care for their children. Studies have shown that this will allow for their children to overall lead better lives. (3) These more educated children can then go on and break out of poverty and lead successful lives. This will benefit the economy even more. Even if somehow he wins all of his case, I will still win that this will be better for America's future, allowing a recession to never happen again. 3) Raising the minimum wage would decrease the amount of days a worker is absent and increase overall productivity. Please now look at his second and third subpoint. He said "If the cost of hiring someone increases, then companies will be forced to raise their prices to compensate. In the long run, this cancels all of the benefits of raising the minimum wage. When goods cost more, the cost of everything goes up. This is called price inflation. Such inflation can weaken the economy." Even if he wins all of the other points, this is the main one that I need to win. If the productivity goes up, then companies will make more money - ensuring that subpoints 4+ won't happen. 4) Raising the minimum wage would help millions of workers. (4) 5) The rising cost of living, especially with a low minimum wage, ensures that families will not be able to make payments, such as their house payments. (4) Please refer back to their fourth subpoint. If these families cannot make their bank payments because they don't have enough money because of the minimum wage, then the banks will fail, and cause all of their other impacts from points five and on. 6) Historically, a low minimum wage increases the income gap between men and women by about 32 percent. That isn't fair! (4) 7) Increasing the minimum wage would translate into an extra 2,000 dollars per family if it is increased by one dollar, and 3,000 dollars if the minimum wage is increased by one dollar and fifty cents. This would translate into eight months of groceries, or five months of rent. (4) 8) Historically, jobs are created and the amount of people that do not have jobs decreases. (4) This is exactly what we need right now - to make sure people have jobs. 9) A higher minimum wage would allow for the 21st century to build up. (5) With 1950 wages, we cannot build up and advance technologically. I would like to make it clear, again, that studies have shown, along with historical data, that there has NEVER been jobs lost when the minimum wage increases. (4) Next, I would like to remind you that critics of the minimum wage have predicted dire consequences to raising the minimum wage - which have never happened. In the past, raising the minimum wage decreases inflation, reduces the amount of people in poverty, and stimulates the economy. (6) Last, I would like to wish my opponent good luck as he prepares for his next speech. Thank you again for this opportunity to debate you. (1) http://www.njpp.org... (2) http://www.bloomberg.com... (3) http://www.aecf.org... (4) http://www.policyalmanac.org... (5) http://www.ncccusa.org... (6) http://www.commondreams.org...