BrianGarst.com

Reuters is back, this time bemoaning the “poor” minimum wage workers in a story that reads as little more than partisan cheerleading. Even the title, “Democrats to raise wages for poor workers,” betrays the agenda, as most minimum wage earners are not poor – with only 19% below the poverty line.

The incoming Democratic-led U.S. Congress intends to give a hand to dishwashers, fast-food cooks and America’s other poorest-paid workers by raising the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade.

With the gap between rich and poor widening, Democrats promised such a pay hike as a part of their campaign that saw them win control of both chambers of Congress in the November 7 elections from President George W. Bush’s Republicans.

Ahoy there class warfare! I didn’t expect to see you here. Okay, I did expect to see you here. But I still don’t like you.

“This is a moral issue, as well as an issue of economic fairness and justice,” said Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who will be the House of Representatives’ Democratic majority leader.

“No one can meet even the most basic expenses on today’s minimum wages,” said Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat who will chair the labor committee in the House of Representatives.

The assumption here being that minimum wage workers are, by and large, attempting to meet basic needs. Reality, however, paints a different picture. The average household income for minimum wage workers is more than $40,000. This is because more than half (53%) of minimum wage workers are under the age of 24, many of whom are living with their parents. Their goals are to gain experience – not support a family as the article later implies – which would be much more difficult to do with meddling legislators limiting their job opportunities. Ultimately, it should be up to the individual to decide whether to accept or not accept a job. Government shouldn’t limit those opportunities by legislating out low production jobs. As to being a moral issue, I thought Democrats frowned upon legislating morality? Anyway, the 3-page article only saw fit to include a one sentence reference to any opposition, and did so in the most minimalist of ways.

Traditional allies of corporate America, Republicans cite studies that show an increase in the minimum wage would hurt small business and reduce the number of entry-level jobs.

Of course, the author couldn’t cite opposition without including a backhanded insult, when the reality is that opposing minimum wage laws is in everyone’s interest. Nor could he be bothered to provide any specifics on how minimum wages harm low skilled workers.

minimum wage