February 16, 2013

  • From the Wichita Eagle Opinion Line

    “An increase in the minimum wage sounds good until you have to pay more for what you buy and more in taxes.”

    If we raise the minimum wages, prides go up. If we keep minimum wage as if, prices won’t go up. If we lower the minimum wage, prices should go down. Why not eliminate all wages ad see what happens?

    “Minimum wage is not supposed to be a wage you can support nine kids on. It is for those just entering the work force. If minimum wage isn’t cutting it for you, obtain some skills that are deserving of higher wages.”

    This person’s ignorance also smacks of Ronald Reagan and his mythical Welfare Queen.

    Minimum wage is relative solely o an individual and his/her labor. It does not regard one’s color, creed, age, gender, marital status.

    The first minimum wage law was in Massachusetts in 1912. It was deemed necessary to insure proper wages for women and children. Be that as it may, all state and eventual federal, minimum wage laws applied to individual wages, guaranteeing most workers - would have the benefit of receiving at least that minimum hourly rate.

    The minimum wage certainly IS NOT intended to provide for a family with nine kids, because being married or single, having children or not, is not part of the equation.

    The original state minimum wages were directed toward those who were already employed. It would, as a consequence, have an impact on people entering the work force after the enactment date of any minimum wage law.

    Additionally, the individual who submitted the above opinion may assume that it is easy to live on a modest wage and still have sufficient time and funds to obtain skills that would ultimately produce a more desirable wage. A further assumption is that a person desires a different kind of employment or a better wage. That may be, but some people are content with the work they do. And, for the most part, individuals are not in a position to demand that their government enact minimum wage laws.

    Many corporations have starting hourly wages that exceed minimum wage. Such wages may not be significantly higher, and advancement opportunities within some corporations may not be plentiful. But the fact remains, that the person who penned the cited opinion didn’t do much research, but was content to unfurl their banner of ignorance, proudly.

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    Gasoline is up 75 cents a gallon over last month. Probably because that "socialist" mentioned increasing the minimum wage in his State of the Union Address.

    Don't laugh. I'm sure some Rebublican and Tea Party folks would be nodding their head in agreement.