"We're Raising the Minimum Wage To $25 An Hour..." Chicago Politicians Running Out Small Businesses

追加: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]to Chicago Report. I'm Tia Yuing. We are starting off tonight with news from Washington DC involving one of Illinois's US Congress members.

[00:00:07]Representative Dileia Ramirez is introducing the Living Wage for All Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. It is a proposal that congressional candidate and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Illinois or I should say Juliana Stratton also pushed for. This was during her campaign. And here's how it would actually work. The bill would also phase in different pay timelines for large and smaller employers. So it would start with companies with 500 or more employees which would have to comply by the year 2031. Smaller companies would have an extra seven years to reach that goal.

[00:00:43]>> I understand people will say $25 an hour and how will small businesses be able to pay for that? Look, folks, within the bill, we have a phase out period to ensure that our small businesses are able to get to the $25 um an hour and we also have built in a cost of living to ensure that we won't have to have this fight again. Right. THAT'S RIGHT.

[00:01:02]>> BECAUSE WAGES WILL GO UP AS cost of living also goes up.

[00:01:07]>> Dillia Ramirez is joining us on Zoom to tell us more about the legislation and how it sets different timelines for large corporations versus smaller employers. Thank you so much for coming on the show. No, thanks for having me, Tia.

[00:01:19]>> Let's be Let's talk about this because it is important and a lot of people's ears go up when they hear uh $25 an hour and how that can even be possible. Why phase it in the way that you've kind of laid this out and how do you respond to concerns from small business owners about what that $25 an hour could do in terms of impact?

[00:01:39]>> Yeah. Well, look, let me first start by saying that we have not raised a federal minimum wage in this country since 2009.

[00:01:46]The federal minimum wage at this moment is $7.25.

[00:01:50]That means that when we look at that at that federal minimum wage, if people are getting paid at that level, they're having to work two jobs to be able to pay for the rent and cover basic cost.

[00:02:00]25. Why did we get there? We've looked at many many studies across the country in various sectors and what we have found is that the minimum the floor that people need to be making in order to be able to cover the cost in the cheapest county in this country is $25 per hour.

[00:02:17]Now, the phase out was really important to me because I've heard from small businesses. I was in the state legislature in 2019 when we passed uh to raise the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 per hour. And we understood that small businesses needed that extra help and transition period to be able to get there. It's why we built in to this bill a phase out period in which small businesses would not have to phase out into 25 an hour until 2038, giving them enough time and capacity to build the infrastructure necessary to be able to cover those costs. While larger employers would get there by 2031. I want to talk to you about this portion of it because your proposal would eliminate all subminimum wages including for tipped workers and workers with disabilities. What problem are you trying to solve with that change and how would it affect industries like restaurants and even hospitality?

[00:03:07]>> Look, it's really important for us to note. I know that oftentimes you'll hear some folks try to argue uh that businesses are going to shut down as a result of their workers getting paid living wages. Well, the reality is that when workers are paid living wages, they stick around. They have higher retention.

[00:03:26]>> The problem with this argument, okay, with this whole $25, $25 minimum wage or whatever is when we say, okay, minimum wage was established so that there would be a bare minimum. So that basically you saying that workers are not just absolutely being exploited, that high schoolers wouldn't be being exploited, that immigrants wouldn't be exploited, that people that were getting into industries or getting a job that you couldn't take advantage of those that didn't know any better. It was not established so that you can have a minimum living standard. Minimum wage was never supposed to be minimum living standard. Meaning that if you got a job working at a fast food place, it wasn't meant for you to live off of getting a job working at a fast food place. It was supposed to be a baseline so you're not taken advantage of completely by the business owner. Now we're putting the business we're putting the onus on the business to make sure that we make other people's lives better. That's the that's the difference, right? So when you say minimum wage, I don't equate minimum wage to living standards, living standards are subjective depending on where you live in a lifestyle that you decide that you want to embrace.

[00:04:55]So while I agree that the minimum wage should be raised, how much it should be raised and the reason that it's being raised is two completely different things. The arguments that politicians are making does not justify the amount that they are saying that you should be making as a cashier at Walmart or McDonald's.

[00:05:20]The number should be debated. The reason should be justified, but it does not measure up with what it is that we establish minimum wage to be in the first place.

[00:05:31]What I would love for these politicians to do is to open up a business and prove to us that it can be done.

[00:05:40]I want them to be the guinea pig. Before I ever come to y'all, the reason why my Patreon is so awesome and successful, aside from the fact that we have a strong community amongst each other and we love each other and we want to link up with each other, the reason why the Patreon is so successful is because I show the receipts.

[00:06:01]So I have the you have a much greater chance of taking the information that I give you and duplicating it to be successful also because I've already proven to you that either it a can be done or I've shown you how I overcame trying to do it and then I had to readjust so that it is actually successful for people.

[00:06:23]But what I see from most politicians is that they've never built anything.

[00:06:27]They've never owned any businesses.

[00:06:29]They've never uh invested in people.

[00:06:31]They don't have any employees. Most politicians that you see that's determining our laws are lifetime career politicians. Meaning that their entire life they've been paid for by the people. Example, Zordon Manni. The reason why he can't understand or compute because I seen the people holding him accountable at the town hall about supporting taxes and raising it on the billionaires and why he's about to lose a $6 billion investment inside of New York is because he's never actually implemented it. So, while he is likable, while he can answer questions, while he does the really good politician thing, and while he is able to get the support from the majority of the people that don't own businesses, it doesn't mean that you understand true ho how to how you as a socialist, the agenda that you're pushing has to be it has to be supported by a capitalistic agenda. the the the people that generate the most money, the people that are the the job creators, the hustlers, the ones that stay up all night, the ones that's made the sacrifice to ultimately get where they are are the ones that are subsidizing your plan.

[00:07:44]And so I would love to see how y'all are able to justify because what I know for example in the restaurant industry is that the margins are razor thin.

[00:07:56]Why do you think that most restaurants go out of business within the first year?

[00:08:02]More than half of them don't survive past year two or three.

[00:08:09]It's ra and when I say razor thin, razor thin. So, it's going to be a trickle up effect. Meaning that in order for them to be able to pay this person $25 an hour, two things got to happen. A, we got to get rid of most employees. And that's when you going to start to implement AI. And then people going to say, "Oh my god, I can't believe it.

[00:08:28]They're killing jobs." Well, now we got to have kiosk taking your order. And we got to have robots pouring your coffee.

[00:08:34]And we have to have artificial intelligence at the drive-thru saying, "Hi, may I take your order?"

[00:08:42]Please repeat. Please repeat. Please repeat. Please repeat.

[00:08:49]because we can't afford to bring in more people to justify exactly what you saying that we have to pay them. So that's one. And then number two, at the same time, the costs go up. So now you haven't actually made a livable wage because it's going to cost you more to live. It's going to cost you more to have a place. It's going to cost you more to have gas. It's going to cost you more because the gas station got to make $25 an hour minimum, right? The person that's at the front desk of your building got to make $25 an hour minimum. The maintenance guy got to make way more than that because he got to justify being a maintenance guy instead of being the front desk guy. Now everybody has to pay more because your costs are going to continue to go up to do the the very You want to know why people keep talking about, "Oh my god, I can't believe that the rent is up. I can't believe that this is up. I can't believe that it cost me more to go to the grocery store because the costs are qu going to continue to go up to do anything to do anything. I got um the sod people putting in grass because now that the weather has broken, they're able to do the fencing and they able to do the grass for one of the last properties um that I built, right? Already had the people move in as soon as the weather broke. Now they ordered the fencing, they doing the grass, they doing the sprinklers, they're doing on the side, right?

[00:10:08]And uh Rita called me and she said, "Anton, this is how much it's going to cost them to do the side to do the grass." And I said, "That don't make sense. Why is it more?

[00:10:20]Thousands more. It was thousands more.

[00:10:23]Why is it more than it cost when we did this previous property, but we using the same company?

[00:10:30]Somebody got to eat the cost." And so guess what happens? It gets spread out amongst everybody. So now everybody got to pay more. Everybody got to spend more money.

[00:10:46]Everybody got to spend more money and everybody got to pay more taxes. And so inflation goes up. The cost of living goes up. But you think that? But I make I remember when people was like, "Yo, remember when they used to protest for $15 an hour, now it's $25 an hour. Now it's $30 an hour. Now it's going to be $40 an hour. Now it's gonna be $50 an hour." It's not the number. It's the lifestyle. It's the cost of living.

[00:11:12]It's the cost of living.

[00:11:17]But guess what didn't go up?

[00:11:20]Guess what? Prices are still the exact same. Can anybody in the chat can anybody in the chat tell me what of all the things in society, in the world, and the culture, what price has been the exact same since it started?

[00:11:44]I said the price a box. No, I wasn't talking about the price of box. Costco hot dogs food clothes. Arizona iced tea.

[00:11:56]McDonald's. Nope. Wages. Nope.

[00:12:02]Arizona tea. Box.

[00:12:05]Definitely not box. the cost to pay attention. Toothpick snapple money. Oh my god. Come on. YEAH.

[00:12:19]Shout out to my dog Facy. Facy, you hit the nail on the head. Since we started the bag chasers, we've never raised the prices. We've never raised the price of the brick.

[00:12:32]Milliondoll game.

[00:12:36]Milliondoll game. We kept the bag the same. You know what I'm saying? Don't join today, join tomorrow. Because the best day to join the Patreon is the beginning of the is the beginning of the month. Don't join today, join tomorrow.

[00:12:48]Make sure y'all tap into the Patreon.

[00:12:50]The best day to join is the beginning of the month.

[00:12:54]Link is in the chat. That's right. Pin to the top of the chat. We have not raised the price of the Patreon. Not a dollar.

[00:13:05]Not a dollar. Talking about he was thinking about food.

[00:13:10]I'm the only person that don't charge inflation. You know what I'm saying?

[00:13:15]Time dog out here making sure that the people eat.

[00:13:17]>> As a matter of fact, look, there's a number of states that have already moved into a higher minimum wage. We're talking about New York, LA, Maryland, the Bay Area. states have already moved on. And what we have found in states like this, especially, I'll give you a quick example, DC, after voters passed initiative 82, the city saw that restaurants were able to actually increase profits and employment record instead of decreasing it. So, this idea that business are going to shut down as a result of wages being higher is not accurate. It's actually the opposite.

[00:13:51]We're seeing an increase because there's a higher retention, higher quality, and the employer is finding that in fact there's actually an increase in profit as a result of increased weight.

[00:14:03]>> We just talking. You want to know what y'all about to experience?

[00:14:06]Y'all about to be able to finance your food.

[00:14:12]You're going to have to finance your food. They're going Mark my words. Mark my words. Listen to what I'm saying.

[00:14:21]You're going to have to finance your food. You're going to have you're going to be able to go into a restaurant or go on their app and you're going to be able to do CLA Afterpay on your food. It's already happening.

[00:14:41]No. No way. I don't believe that.

[00:14:44]I don't believe that. Let me try. I'm about to go on Door Dash right now.

[00:14:53]No way, Sabrina. You got to be kidding me.

[00:14:59]What?

[00:15:07]Um, I'mma just pick a restaurant. I'm on Door Dash right now.

[00:15:16]I'mma throw in some food.

[00:15:27]Continue.

[00:15:37]Throw a tip on there. $15.

[00:15:47]Okay. So, I see payments.

[00:15:55]So, I see payments.

[00:15:58]All right. I see Apple Pay.

[00:16:07]Oh, y'all was right.

[00:16:12]You can literally select cla y'all financing. Y'all clering food.

[00:16:32]What in the Jesus is going?

[00:16:39]That's crazy.

[00:16:41]Come on, dog. Come on. Come on. Come on.

[00:16:44]Come on. Come on. Come on, y'all. Come on, y'all. Come on. This is crazy. This is insane.

[00:17:06]This is crazy.

[00:17:08]Absolutely insane. It's out of control.

[00:17:11]It's insane.

[00:17:14]Wow.

[00:17:16]Wow.

[00:17:18]Make sure you guys don't don't finance your don't finance your Door Dash. If you got to finance Door Dash, then don't order Door Dash. Just go to the grocery store.

[00:17:29]Real talk. Real talk. I didn't know.

[00:17:32]Just go to the grocery store.

[00:17:34]If you have to finance your your Door Dash, get your get your big self up and go to the grocery store. Don't keep telling Don't tell me you like it cuz I want to get rid of it. Y'all keep trying to get me to keep my salt and pepper beard.

[00:17:50]Cuz listen, let me tell you why.

[00:17:56]Let me tell you why.

[00:17:59]Oh snaps, my daughter chose her college.

[00:18:16]So Jay Reed says Anton's realizing he's out of touch with the rest of us. I'm not.

[00:18:22]You can't tell me I'm Wait. You can't tell me that I'm out of touch because I don't believe in financing Door Dash.

[00:18:31]Somebody that finances Door Dash is out of touch with the rest of us.

[00:18:36]If you're if you're financing Door Dash, you're out of touch.

[00:18:44]Cuz you should not be Door Dashing if you're financing it.

[00:18:49]No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

[00:18:51]Nope. Yeah. Nope. Wrong analogy. Wrong analogy. I'm in touch because I believe that if you have to finance Door Dash, then you should probably go to the store.

[00:19:04]Bananas don't cost nothing. Eggs don't cost nothing. Bread don't cost nothing.

[00:19:09]Milk don't cost nothing, bro.

[00:19:12]You're You're not going to lie to me and act like, "Oh my god, it's costing me $100 to get bread, milk, and eggs." It doesn't.

[00:19:22]It doesn't. You're lying. You're lying.

[00:19:26]Eggs are still cheap. Milk is still cheap. Bread is still cheap.

[00:19:31]Ra ramen noodles is still cheap.

[00:19:36]Sardines is still cheap.

[00:19:39]I know. I know. Listen, I know that hold over meal, man. Listen, I can make as much breakfast food as I want for multiple I can get a dozen eggs and I can go get some bread. And there's multiple different ways I could finesse that that bread. I can use the eggs to make French toast.

[00:20:00]I can use the eggs, whip up some eggs, and I'm good. I can use the eggs to just do regular toast. Pop it inside of the inside of the uh the toaster. And I don't even NEED A TOASTER. I GOT A OVEN.

[00:20:16]You can't you can't trick me into believing that y'all want to cuz see y'all just want to live these phenomenal lifestyles and y'all got these high standards. But y'all y'all can't finesse me into thinking, "Oh man, you just saw that." No, you're financing Door Dash.

[00:20:30]You shouldn't be financing Door Dash.

[00:20:32]What's wrong with you?

[00:20:35]That's stupid.

[00:20:37]I'm not out of out of touch. Yeah, you can get a WHOLE CASE OF EGGS FROM SAM'S CLUB.

[00:20:44]Eat all month and then throw a banana in there. Bananas is cheap. Go get you a apple. Switch it up. Apple today, banana tomorrow. And if I want to really get sassy, I'mma throw some kiwi in there.

[00:20:58]Spinach is cheap.

[00:21:00]Broccoli is cheap. You can get a whole head of broccoli right there at the store.

[00:21:08]Why y'all acting like it's so crazy? Oh my god. I have a family of two. I got to feed my two kids and it's going to cost me $700 at the store. Where?

[00:21:20]Where?

[00:21:22]What's your kids eating? Steak.

[00:21:26]How is it costing you $700 to feed your children?

[00:21:33]My dad used to go to Aldi and have a meal for the whole crew for nothing.

[00:21:44]He used to go to Aldi literally walk. He used to send us to the store with the list. Hey, get this, this, this, this, and this. We go to Aldi, had a whole crew lit up, and we had leftovers.

[00:21:58]What you talking about?

[00:22:06]What's wrong with y'all? Why y'all Why is it so difficult for y'all?

[00:22:12]I seen that they talking about they can't buy junk food with food stamps.

[00:22:17]What you talking about? You can't buy junk food with food stamps. Why you buying junk food with food stamps?

[00:22:24]Yep. Right there on 8 mile and like Roselon. It's like Roseline or North Line. Right there off of eight mile, but it's on the other side. So it's not North Line Rose, but it's it's right there in line with it. It's before you hit Cherry Lawn. It's like Rose on because I stayed on Green Lawn. Rose Lawn, North Lawn, and then this Cherry Line right after that. You walked, we walked up to Aldi's, got whatever it is that we needed, took our own bags because we didn't want to pay for bags, brought that junk home, and we was eating good.

[00:22:57]Anti out of touch. Y'all just got this expensive lifestyle and y'all y'all bougie. You can't be You can't be broke and bougie.

[00:23:07]You can't be both. You can't be broke and bougie at the same time, bro. That's not how life work. You got to pick a struggle, big dog.

[00:23:22]Yep. It's right near the Kroger Plaza.

[00:23:24]You know where it is, goddess? You know where it is? Right there where the Jets Pizza is. Used to be a bank. Uh used to be a bank up there.

[00:23:34]Used to be a video store up there.

[00:23:36]the whole nine yards. The hair plates, the Chinese food place, Kroger's capital Coney Island, Capital One Coney Island.

[00:23:44]I still stop there occasionally. It's the other, it's the corner store across the street. Right across uh 8 mile is the gas station, but then right before that is a Oh yeah, I know exactly what's going on.

[00:24:01]I know exactly what's happening right there today. It's it's all of that stuff right there today.

[00:24:16]Y'all out of touch, bro. They out of touch, Goddess. They out of touch.

[00:24:25]Matter of fact, let me see something.

[00:24:30]go to, you know, I always uh always got to go back to the hood and see what's happening.

[00:24:44]Let me see how long this walk was.

[00:24:48]Leave a crib, walk up the street. That's one block right there. is that's uh that's Norfolk and then at the end of this block is 8 Mile. All right. Aldi is literally right there.

[00:25:16]It's right there.

[00:25:19]It's still there since I was a young kid. It's still there. Aldi been there two blocks up the street right across the street right there by Roseline.

[00:25:30]That's where we walked, got the groceries, walked back to the crib, cooked it up, and hooped right after that.

[00:25:39]And hooped right after that.

[00:25:43]What y'all doing?

[00:25:48]What y'all doing? WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING?

[00:25:50]WHY Y'ALL WHY ARE Y'ALL HAVING such a difficult time?

[00:25:55]Get into the bag. You still there, boss?

[00:26:01]And guess what? Right up the street. Let me show you.

[00:26:06]Let's say you going eight mile. You got the Aldi right there.

[00:26:13]Let me get on this side.

[00:26:15]So this the Aldi. You walked up to the Aldi. You got your food. And if you was really sassy, it's a church right there.

[00:26:26]It's a AutoZone right there.

[00:26:29]And this the plaza. Yep. That's the plaza right there.

[00:26:34]The beauty supply store right here. This used to be the video store. Beauty Supply was a video store. That's the laundromat. Of course, you're always going to have a Metro PCS. Got the Jets Pizza right here.

[00:26:50]got the Jets.

[00:26:53]And then here's the uh Kroger right there. That's Kroger.

[00:27:00]And then you got to hit you a Coney Island, baby. That's Capital Coney Island.

[00:27:07]Let me get a bacon cheeseburger deluxe.

[00:27:10]Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, burger. Well done. Um, chili cheese on the fries.

[00:27:20]And I want the squeeze. I need the squeeze ketchup. You know what I'm saying? Make sure you put the chili on top of the cheese. Let me get the squeeze ketchup because I I don't want the package. So, give me the squeeze. Okay, baby. Give me the squeeze ketchup. Thank you babe.