Raising minimum wage not the answer
The Greenwood Commonwealth editorial (Other Editors, Jan. 4) published in Sunday’s Dispatch, hit remarkably close to the solution considering it didn’t analyze the problem very well. Less than 4% of workers, covered by the federal minimum wage get paid the minimum wage. The other 96% get more than the minimum wage. Maybe they all have very altruistic employers or very foolish employers, but I suspect the real answer is the knowledge, skills, experience and motivation they bring to the job are worth more than the minimum wage. It’s easier to pass a minimum wage law than to improve education and training.
Politicians and bureaucrats like easy solutions, but the big government solution of raising the minimum wage amounts to telling people, “You can’t work in America if you have low skills, low knowledge, low experience or lack motivation.” Raising the minimum wage makes it even harder for the poorly educated, poorly trained to get experience. Telling those same individuals they’re victims of unscrupulous employers, makes it less likely they’ll improve their motivation, although it might turn out a few more voters. We’ve all heard the adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching a man to fish. Congress and legislatures need to admit which approach is better for those on bottom rung.
Bob Altman
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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