Raise the minimum wage

It is time for the quadrennial push to increase the minimum wage. The Obama called for it in his State of the Union address, and progressives across the land are taking up the banner. There was even a he said/she said op-ed in my local fish wrap this morning debating the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage.

I could bore you with facts and figures explaining how raising the minimum wage increases inflation, thus defeating the purpose.  I could cite stats that show a raise in minimum wage increases unemployment. I could demonstrate that the young and minorities are hurt disproportionately by this increase. I could present case studies showing how many minimum wage workers are entry level positions and few families live and are supported by minimum wage earners. I could just use logic and point out that increasing wages above the poverty level will just move the poverty line upward, not eliminate it.

Your average liberal Democrat type does not care. We have to raise minimum wage for the children. In America's land of plenty there should be no one working for sub-poverty level wages. That position is the only one that carries weight with a progressive.

OK, how about this compromise. I will agree we should raise the minimum wage to make sure a single provider for a family of four working for minimum wage earns more than the poverty line. The editorial I read this morning stated that "living wage" was around $11.00 per hour. I'll even go $11.50. Do it and damn the consequences, I say.

Of course, since no one is in poverty any more we can scrap the food stamp program, WIC, the housing assistance programs, Obama phones, medicaid, and every other government poor-relief program. We will no longer have to give Planned Parenthood hundreds of millions in subsidies to provide abortions women's health care. The feds spent an estimated $746,000,000,000 on welfare in 2011*. We should be able to cut at least 50% of that figure immediately, since no one lives below the poverty level anymore.

I cannot wait for my tax cut. I'll need it since a hamburger will cost $9.00 and a pizza $27.00.


* this equates to spending more than $2,000 for every single man, woman and child in the US.  Are you getting value for your tax dollars?