THE MASS MINIMUM
By Candidate (07/07/06)
It’s an election year and our beloved politicians won’t hesitate to tell us all how much they’re doing for us. However, they never seem to want to admit how much they’ve done to us.
Nationally, our lawmakers are tossing around the idea of upping the minimum wage. To get a preview of the damage such legislation can do, look no further than the state of Massachusetts. We may join the top three in the nation when it comes to raising the minimum wage.
Raising the minimum wage is a job killer. I've heard personally that employers should pay more since it's just another example of the rich getting richer.
As it is an election year and such dictates our Governor’s actions, it's not a done deal that Mitt Romney will veto the increase, but seeing how this is Massachusetts, his veto has no power here. Be gone before somebody drops the House on you!
Should the minimum wage shoot up to $8 an hour, how many employers will be forced to lay off a worker or two, which in the Bay State could mean a teenager or the elderly? Employers are not the “evil rich.” Most worked long, hard hours to get their businesses up and running and risked losing everything they owned to make it successful.
Thus, they are in the business to make money, and if this wage increase eats into the money they need to pay for their rent, water, power, insurance, taxes, social security, family leave, profits, and last but not least, employees, just what do you think will be sacrificed?
When you set the minimum wage, that's all the employer has to pay for your service. It could be argued that an employer might have to pay a lot more to have someone clean a toilet if no one would do it for $6.75. Employees could negotiate their wages instead of the government telling an employer the minimum they have to pay a person for their services.
Here’s my favorite complaint: “The rich getting richer....”
I don't know about you, but I've never been hired by a poor person. While working for a broadcast network in Los Angeles, I worked for a very rich man. We did good work for him, worked the hours he requested, and we made him a lot of money. In return, he paid us very well. There was no skimping on overtime or trimming of hours. There were no layoffs. We made him money, he paid us well.
But if the state makes it tough for a rich person who owns a business, that rich person will be the last to suffer. He or she will starting cutting the hours of employees, may start layoffs, and if the tough times continue, he or she may relocate or go out of business altogether. As we're talking about Massachusetts, does this sound familiar?
I could be persuaded to support a minimum wage increase if, and only if, the entire increase went to the worker. But guess what, folks? That increase will be taxed as well. Whether Massachusetts Democrats will come out and admit it or not, let me give them a push: the minimum wage increase is a tax on the poor.
Remember that when our favorite representatives come around and tell us all how much they “fought” for us. Next time just punch us in the head, especially if we’re all dumb enough to buy those lines again.
Bob Parks
http://bobparks4staterep.com/
For any additional information about our campaign, please send us an email at bob@bobparks4staterep.com
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