Now, on to another union matter

This time, it's the minimum wage. Will the American people and our politicians never learn? In the November election, several states passed propositions on their ballots that raised their state minimum wage, and now Congress, along with the signature of our "Republican" president, has raised the federal minimum wage. Excuse me while I thumb through Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution so I can find where it says that the Congress can pass laws dictating what employers are going to pay their employees.

The minimum wage is one of the biggest scams going. You do know don't you that one of the most enthusiastic supporters of raising the minimum wage is our country's collection of labor unions? Believe me, it isn't because the unions support the poor, downtrodden entry-level worker; quite the opposite. When the minimum wage is raised, employers either cut down on hiring entry-level workers or let go of some that are already working. This cuts down on competition for the unions. They don't want entry-level workers coming in for lower pay because it puts a big damper on their justification for higher union pay.

I find it amazing that in the 1940s and 1950s - before the minimum wage really got out of hand - black teenagers were actually slightly more likely to be employed than white teenagers. Nowadays, the unemployment rate for black teenagers is astronomically high. Haven't you ever wondered what happened to all those jobs that kids used to have, like grocery store delivery boy, theater usher, newspaper boy, and gas station jockey? What happened to those jobs? The minimum wage killed them, and with it, the minimum wage has killed millions of opportunities for young people to learn work skills that would eventually help land them higher-paying jobs, while at the same time, providing a valuable service to their community. Think of all the shut-in elderly people who thanked their lucky stars that a boy on a bicycle could deliver their groceries to them. That option no longer exists like it once did.

I know many people will disagree with me on this one, because I have heard the arguments from the pro-minimum wage side many times. Just think about it this way. When the government sets the minimum wage - I believe it was set at $7.25 yesterday - what the government is saying is that it is against the law for someone who is incapable of producing $7.25 worth of goods and services in an hour, to work. How compassionate of the liberals (and that includes our President) to do this for the working man. And why only a $2 an hour raise. If it is tough to live on $5.15 an hour, is $7.25 going to improve things all that much. As long as we are doling out compassion with other people's money, why doesn't Congress quit wussyfooting around and raise the minimum wage to $15 or $20 an hour, and then no one will be in poverty. This is simply feel-goodism masquerading as public policy; but then it is always easy to feel good when you are spending other people's money.

And then there is my favorite canard: "But we must raise the minimum wage because you can't raise a family on $5.15 an hour!" News flash - you are not supposed to raise a family on the minimum wage. If you have a family, and you are only making the minimum wage, then you have screwed up royally; You should have waited until you got some education and job skills before having children. The answer is to take responsibility for your life and not make stupid choices, like dropping out of school, or having children when you are still in high school. Doing things like this will almost guarantee that you will be poor, or at least struggle financially a lot more than you should have to. This is when proponents of the minimum wage pull out the exceptions to the rule; the sob stories that they say justifies the wage hike. But that's what those stories are: exceptions to the rule. I'm sorry but the rule is, the people who are trying to survive on minimum wage mostly only have themselves to blame.

Yes I know, Booooo to you Chanman; you are cold, heartless, and cruel. Well you know what? Success didn't just fall in my lap. I worked my butt off, I joined the military partly to pay for college, I worked a crappy job when I was getting on my feet after I moved to Sacramento, I went through long nights going to college after putting in a full day of work. It was tough, but I did it, and it makes me feel good when I look at my accomplishments. The best part is that I didn't have to care for and pay for any kids while I did all this. As soon as I was a college graduate and gainfully employed, only then did my wife and I start a family. It is such a simple formula, yet so many act like it is some big mystery, and that includes our Congress and our President. Shame on them for working to sink the economy while they act like they are saving it.

Good Day to You, Sir