Good Business
Good Business
Winston-Salem Journal
Thursday, January 5, 2006
State Treasurer Richard Moore demonstrated political flair Tuesday when he called for a $1 increase in the state minimum wage - and did so in front of 1,100 businesspeople, most of whom had likely lobbied against the idea last year when it was before the General Assembly.
Moore's call to raise the minimum hourly wage to $6.15 came at a meeting of the N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry, which is essentially the state's chamber of commerce. Business lobbyists have led efforts in Washington and Raleigh against raising the federal and state minimum wages. The last time Congress raised the wage was 1997, when it moved from $4.75 to the current $5.15 an hour.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have already required minimum wages above the federal standard. The New York Times says that nearly half of the nation's civilian work force is located in those states.
Moore's argument is gaining prominence nationally, especially with regard to Wal-Mart and its massive work force. The low wages and skimpy benefits packages offered by some companies simply transfer a sizable burden onto taxpayers. When a company fails to pay its employees a living wage, those employees depend on the government for more social and health services.
Moore said that businesses that pay good wages should support a minimum-wage increase. When the minimum wage is too low, and the working poor must seek government assistance, the burden of paying for those government services falls on both individuals and the companies that pay good wages.
With their Republican allies controlling both houses of Congress for most of the time since 1997, and the White House since 2001, business lobbyists have been able to stave off a federal minimum-wage increase. But Democrats are responsible for the low wage in North Carolina. The Democratic Senate, with its decided pro-big business slant, refused to raise the wage in 2005. The Democratic House had passed it. Regardless of which party is to blame, the minimum wage, when adjusted for inflation, has sunk to historically low levels. A raise would help 100,000 workers in North Carolina.
Polls indicate that the politicians are way behind on this issue. A rise in the minimum wage would be very popular with the general public. The Times reported that even Wal-Mart now favors a higher minimum wage on the belief that workers making $5.15 an hour can't afford to shop at Wal-Mart.
Moore is correct when he argues that the company that underpays its workers is ripping off the taxpayers. Full-time workers should be able to support themselves without government handouts. That they cannot at this time is a result in large part of inadequate federal and state minimum-wage laws.
Winston-Salem Journal
Thursday, January 5, 2006
State Treasurer Richard Moore demonstrated political flair Tuesday when he called for a $1 increase in the state minimum wage - and did so in front of 1,100 businesspeople, most of whom had likely lobbied against the idea last year when it was before the General Assembly.
Moore's call to raise the minimum hourly wage to $6.15 came at a meeting of the N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry, which is essentially the state's chamber of commerce. Business lobbyists have led efforts in Washington and Raleigh against raising the federal and state minimum wages. The last time Congress raised the wage was 1997, when it moved from $4.75 to the current $5.15 an hour.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have already required minimum wages above the federal standard. The New York Times says that nearly half of the nation's civilian work force is located in those states.
Moore's argument is gaining prominence nationally, especially with regard to Wal-Mart and its massive work force. The low wages and skimpy benefits packages offered by some companies simply transfer a sizable burden onto taxpayers. When a company fails to pay its employees a living wage, those employees depend on the government for more social and health services.
Moore said that businesses that pay good wages should support a minimum-wage increase. When the minimum wage is too low, and the working poor must seek government assistance, the burden of paying for those government services falls on both individuals and the companies that pay good wages.
With their Republican allies controlling both houses of Congress for most of the time since 1997, and the White House since 2001, business lobbyists have been able to stave off a federal minimum-wage increase. But Democrats are responsible for the low wage in North Carolina. The Democratic Senate, with its decided pro-big business slant, refused to raise the wage in 2005. The Democratic House had passed it. Regardless of which party is to blame, the minimum wage, when adjusted for inflation, has sunk to historically low levels. A raise would help 100,000 workers in North Carolina.
Polls indicate that the politicians are way behind on this issue. A rise in the minimum wage would be very popular with the general public. The Times reported that even Wal-Mart now favors a higher minimum wage on the belief that workers making $5.15 an hour can't afford to shop at Wal-Mart.
Moore is correct when he argues that the company that underpays its workers is ripping off the taxpayers. Full-time workers should be able to support themselves without government handouts. That they cannot at this time is a result in large part of inadequate federal and state minimum-wage laws.
posted by One Dollar More Coalition | 9:39 AM
3 Comments:
Hooray!
Good job
Good job
Post a Comment
<< Home