Raising wages isn’t the answer

Melba Siggeirsson, Las Vegas

Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Regarding Monday’s column by Mark Weisbrot, “To honor workers, raise the minimum wage”:

I cannot believe we still have people trying to raise the minimum wage. Everything is based on the minimum wage.

Your wages — your living standard will not go up. Your rent, your utilities, your groceries, your car insurance and everything else that is basic will go up. It might help a few briefly, but even those whose basic needs are met by the government will feel the pain.

The guy who has worked so hard to make 50 cents to $1 an hour more than you will not get a raise. His cost of living will go up just the same — he will actually be making less than he was.

The company will not be able to afford raises, no matter how good your last assessment was.

Remember that a company pays unemployment, workers’ comp and a whole host of other taxes all based on payroll.

When minimum wage goes up, everything else goes up.

I have watched this great phenomenon time after time. Raising the minimum wage is not the answer.

Bring back manufacturing. Bring back construction. Bring back jobs that require skilled employees.

The minimum wage will be what it was meant to be: an apprentice wage — a wage to start, a wage to learn the trade, a beginning that ensured you would be more valuable to any employer.