Minimum Wage

By Tom Campbell

Minimum wage laws in California exceed the national minimum wage. When government increases the minimum wage, some workers lose their jobs. Employers automate. Suppose we didn’t make employers pay the higher wage, but used the general tax base to plus-up the wages of low salaried workers instead? Those workers would earn as much more as if we increased the minimum wage, and fewer would be laid off. Low-income workers need a hand: it’s barely possible for a family to get by on a minimum wage in California. Expand the earned-income tax credit instead of increasing the minimum wage. Democratic party chieftains, and their union supporters, demand support for virtually any increase in minimum wage level that is proposed. Republican party leaders tend to oppose spending government budget dollars to increase the earned-income tax credit.

The above are statements on several public policy issues drafted by Tom Campbell, former US Congressman, former California State Senator, former Director of Finance for California, and currently Interim Chairman of the Common Sense Party. They are meant to initiate consideration of several important issues; they are not the official views of the Common Sense Party. Please feel free to submit your own thoughts on these issues on the Open Policy Discussion Page.