California Minimum Wages Increase Again on January 1, 2018

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Pursuant to California Senate Bill No. 3 signed by Governor Jerry Brown in April 2016, on January 1, 2018, the California minimum wage increases from $10.50 to $11 per hour for employers with 26+ employees and from $10 to $10.50 for employers with 25 or less employees (with the exception of California sheepherders...which you can read about more HERE).

The overall target of the legislation is $15 per hour for all employees by January 1, 2023 (companies with 26+ will get there by January 1, 2022; one year earlier than smaller companies).

Future Minimum Wage Increases for Employers with 26+ Employees:

  • 1/1/19: $12/hour
  • 1/1/20: $13/hour
  • 1/1/21: $14/hour
  • 1/1/22 until adjusted again: $15/hour

If your employer has 25 or fewer employees, there will be a year lag in the increases highlighted above.

  • 1/1/19: $11/hour
  • 1/1/20: $12/hour
  • 1/1/21: $13/hour
  • 1/1/22: $14/hour
  • 1/1/23: $15/hour

So, if you are a minimum wage employee at a smaller company, you will be making slightly less than your "larger" company counterparts in California until 1/1/23.

After 2022, the minimum wage will generally be increased by the lesser of 3.5% or the annual inflation rate.

More on California minimum wages at www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm.

But WAIT!

If you are a minimum wage employee in the City of Los Angeles, different rules apply:

Employers with 26+ Employees in City of Los Angeles:

  • 7/1/17 to 6/30/18: $12/hour
  • 7/1/18 to 6/30/19: $13.25/hour
  • 7/1/19 to 6/30/20: $14.25/hour
  • 7/1/20: $15/hour

Employers with 25 or Fewer Employees in City of Los Angeles (or 26+ Employees with approval to pay a deferred rate):

  • 7/1/17 to 6/30/18: $10.50/hour
  • 7/1/18 to 6/30/19: $12/hour
  • 7/1/19 to 6/30/20: $13.25/hour
  • 7/1/20 to 6/30/21: $14.25/hour
  • 7/1/21: $15/hour

More on L.A. City minimum wage laws at wagesla.lacity.org.

And of course, there's the irrelevant (at least to the majority of, but not all, states) Federal Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which established the now current Federal minimum wage at $7.25/hour as of July 24, 2009.

View From Grant Park in Ventura and Serra Cross in January 1956

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Panoramic view from Grant Park in Ventura in three photos taken in January 1956.

Panoramic view from Grant Park in Ventura in three photos taken in January 1956.

Here's a panoramic view from Grant Park in Ventura taken in January 1956. Shortly after Father Junipero Serra founded Mission San Buenaventura, a large wooden cross was placed on top of the hill overlooking the Mission church.

The original cross, damaged over time by the elements, was replaced in the 1860s. That cross blew down in a storm on November 5, 1875 and was not replaced for 40 years.

The cross at Grant Park / Serra Cross Park in 2015.

The cross at Grant Park / Serra Cross Park in 2015.

A new wooden cross was placed by a local women's service club on September 9, 1912. In 1918, Kenneth and Tonie Grant donated the surrounding hillside to the City of San Buenaventura. Roads to the cross were built around 1920. The circular stone pedestal and concrete pathway the cross now sits atop was built in March 1932. The cross that sits there today, a bit charred from the Thomas Fire, was replaced by the city in 1941.

The Serra Cross Conservancy is seeking donations at www.gofundme.com/serracrosshelp to help restore the cross and surrounding property.

Serra Cross in January 1956, from a private collection.

Serra Cross in January 1956, from a private collection.

U.S. Adults with College Degrees More Likely to Be Married Than Non-Degreed Adults

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The Pew Research Center recently published an report of the education gap in marital status in the United States. Here are some highlights of the study:

  • Overall, approximately 50% of adults are married today, down from 59% 25 years ago and 72% in 1960. That said, the rate has been fairly stable at 50% in recent years.
  • Marriage rates are down because the median age for first marriage has increased by 7 years since 1960 and there's a higher proportion of never married Americans as well adults living with a partner instead of a spouse.
  • Marriage rates vary quite a bit based on level of education. In 2015, 65% of adults 25+ with a four year college degree were married, compared to 55% with some college and 50% who did not attend any college.
  • Marriage rates have always varied by race and ethnicity. As of 2015, marriage rates for 18+ adults were 54% of whites, 61% of Asians, 46% of Hispanics and 30% of blacks. Pew noted that this marriage gap has been existed for many years.

So bottom line is, you're more likely to be married if you have a college degree. Read more at this link.

And if you ARE looking to tie the knot for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or beyond time, there's a compilation of over 170 local venues throughout Ventura County, stretching to Santa Barbara and Malibu at THIS LINK.

Beautiful Rainbow Brightens This 1st Day of August 2017 in the Conejo Valley

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It was cloudy and relatively cool this morning and then we saw hot and humid monsoonal weather the rest of the day, this first day of August 2017 in the Conejo Valley.

The temperatures gradually cooled as the clouds built up again in the late afternoon to early evening, when we were greeted by this beautiful rainbow around 7pm tonight.

Supermoon as Viewed this Morning from the Conejo Valley

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L. David Irete submitted this shot of the "supermoon" staring down the western Conejo Valley open space and Edison power lines in Newbury Park this morning. Last night's (and this morning's) supermoon was the closest full moon to the Earth since January 26, 1948.

Mark your calendars for November 25, 2034. That's when astronomers indicate the next time we will have a supermoon this close to earth.

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California State Senate Bill No. 3 to Will Increase Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour Over Next 6 Years

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In April 2016, Governor Brown signed into law Senate Bill No. 3, that, among other things, will increase minimum wage in California to $15 over the coming years. 

On January 1, 2016, the California minimum wage increased from $9 to $10 for all employers (with the exception of California sheepherders...which you can read about more HERE).

The planned increases to get to $15 are outlined below and vary based on if the employer has 26 or more employees or 25 or fewer employees.

Employers with 26+ Employees

  • 1/1/17 to 12/31/17: $10.50/hour (5% increase)
  • 1/1/18 to 12/31/18: $11/hour (4.8% increase)
  • 1/1/19 to 12/31/19: $12/hour (9.1% increase)
  • 1/1/20 to 12/31/20: $13/hour (8.3% increase)
  • 1/1/21 to 12/31/21: $14/hour (7.7% increase)
  • 1/1/22 until adjusted again: $15/hour (6.7% increase)

If your employer has 25 or fewer employees, there will be a year lag in the increases. So in 2017, there will not be a change in the designated minimum wage if you work for a company in that range.  The first increase (from $10 to $10.50) will take place effective 1/1/18 and the final increase highlighted above (from $14 to $15) will take place effective 1/1/23.

So, if you are a minimum wage employee at a smaller company, you will be making slightly less than your "larger" company counterparts in California until 1/1/23.

After 2022, the minimum wage will generally be increased by the lesser of 3.5% and the inflation rate.

Five New Sports to Be Added to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020

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Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee approved the addition of baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing to the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo.

This will mark the first appearance of these sports at the Olympics, except for baseball/softball which was last on the Olympic program at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The additional sports will not be binding on future Olympic games and will not impact existing Olympic sports. In total, inclusion of the new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes. These new sports are anticipated to attract a younger generation of athletes to the Olympics.

Without knowing these five sports were to be added to the next Olympics, we ran a local restaurant drawing on the CVG Facebook Page, asking entrants to indicate what additional sport they would like to see at the next summer Olympics. Here's the interesting assortment of responses we received:

  • Softball, surfing and karate all received a number of mentions
  • Hula hooping
  • Dodgeball
  • Auto racing
  • Ukelele playing
  • Donut eating
  • Handball
  • Pickleball
  • Wake boarding
  • Yo Yo-ing
  • Netball
  • MMA
  • Shuffleboard
  • Shopping
  • Bowling
  • Extreme video gaming
  • Lacrosse
  • Football
  • Billiards
  • Hopscotch
  • Juggling
  • Tiddly winks
  • Belly flopping
  • Pokemon Go
  • Disc golf
  • Jousting
  • Competitive eating
  • BMX racing
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Roller Derby
  • Cheerleading
  • Mini golf
  • Synchronized juggling
  • Speed knitting
  • Ballroom dancing

A clever group of folks we have on our Facebook page.