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From the Department of “We Told You So”

A few months ago, we covered the predictable cheerleading by progressive types over the then-impending minimum wage hike. Well, the raise in the minimum wage has come and gone and the Eugene Weekly is reporting that things are basically working out the way anyone who wasn’t political invested in pointless exercises in populism assumed they would:

When minimum wage rose 45 cents at the beginning of this year, Jerry James knew that while the increase wouldn’t allow his family to get ahead, it would at least give them a leg up with rising costs.

“It’s good,” James said. “But with the cost of food, it sort of weighs itself out.”

[…]

The 2009 wage increase will allow full-time minimum wage workers to increase their annual income from $16,536 to $17,472, an extra $936 a year. Still, the extra $3.60 a day might not be enough to keep up with the rising cost of food. [emphasis added]

In other words, the price for consumer goods has risen right along with the increase in the state-mandated minimum wage. Who could’ve predicted that?

Anyone?

Bueller?

  1. Evil Rocks says:

    I kind of like that idea; that profits taxes from those who want to work should support those who do not. Also, if you give the hoi polloi food instead of money, they wouldn’t even be able to buy drugs and so would have to work to support any vices they choose to pick up, the profits of labor being taxable! Win-win!

  2. C.T. Behemoth says:

    So, if we start paying people less and less, we’ll eventually get to the real cost and reasonable profit zone? Then, everyone will be happy, well-fed, in a home/apartment and with their basic needs being met?

    If it’s that easy, why not pay people nothing and just give them what they need to get by and live a happy life?

    Or is there more to this argument?

  3. Vincent says:

    CJ, you insensitive clod!

  4. CJ Ciaramella says:

    Are you trying to say there’s some sort of direct relation between artificially increasing wages and general inflation? Typical conservative wingnut!

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