Musings from Brian J. Noggle

They'll Get Action, All Right

Pay floor boost goes to council: Supporters say move will prompt state action:

A Milwaukee Common Council committee voted 4-0 Thursday to support an increase in the city's minimum wage, a move that advocates hope will pressure state lawmakers to OK a statewide increase.

The measure, which goes to the full council Tuesday, would raise the minimum wage in the city in two steps, first from $5.15 an hour to $5.70 an hour as of Oct. 1. A year later, it would rise to $6.50 an hour.

The steps are the same as those proposed in March by a bipartisan commission appointed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. That group's recommendations, based on a compromise among business and labor groups, have been stalled in the Republican-controlled Legislature, as GOP leaders have said the proposed increase is too high.

Critics said the city would be foolish to increase its minimum wage when surrounding communities have the lower state wage. They argued that it would cause some businesses to look elsewhere.

I'm with the critics. You know what's going to happen? Let's examine the unintended consequences:

Service will suffer in all city businesses, from restaurants to the Grand Avenue Mall shops, as employers will stretch existing employees to cover more tables, more hours, more customers. How do you think customers will react? There's an Applebee's in West Allis, and if there's not, one's looking for space right now.
Young people who might have taken summer jobs to silence their parents will have excuses to not find jobs (which don't exist) and will have to amuse themselves, possibly by participating in the bash mob fad.
People who want or need these jobs, whether as primary jobs or second jobs, will have to commute to the suburbs, spending twenty five minutes in an unsafe beater car like my brothers immortal Frankencar (no relation to Al) or ride the White and Green Limosine (the MCTS buses, now celebrating its first homicide ever) for an hour. Either one wastes time better spent on reading, spending time with children, or preparing a meal that doesn't come from a box or a window.

I think the politicos achieve their goals with the boost, though: currently employed people get more money for no more effort, and the politicos get more votes for spending someone else's money.

- posted by Brian J. @ 10:26 AM