April 30, 2021: Democrat strategist Rahm Emmanuel is credited for saying, “never let a good crisis go to waste”. The pandemic has paved the way for many fool-hearty policies under the guise of public health and economic stability. The most egregious of these policies is the long-term unemployment compensation.
The first round of “emergency” spending signed into law by our cadaverous commander in chief outlined a provision for individuals to receive an additional $300 per week federal benefit on top of the state benefit. This means, on average, an out-of-work American can receive from $500 to $700 per week through September 2021. If this is not generous enough, the provision also allows these “out-of-work” individuals to “earn” up to an additional $300 per week part time and not jeopardize the federal and state benefit. What a country! But what does this have to do with the minimum wage?
There is no shortage of studies that indicate that arbitrary increases in wages do not translate into increased productivity or profits. But facts rarely stand in the way of wrongheaded progressive agendas. The private sector CEO’s may show their “woke” badge by endorsing the wage hike in words but not in fact. Rather than using the legislative process to force corporations into paying an arbitrary wage, the current tactic is to reset the expectation of the wage earner. This is where the math becomes important. Fifteen (15) dollars per hour for a full-time worker yields $600 per week. The current bonehead policy not only supplies non-workers with this but also conditions their income expectations when the benefits expire. The scheme is purely diabolical, but it is working.
Social media is replete with reports of labor shortages especially in low wage job segments. Several fast-food chains are “paying” individuals to interview. Others are offering up to $100 as sign-on bonuses. It is all by design. Whenever evaluating the schemes of the left, one must consider the end game. The $15 minimum wage end game is no different.
By: Extremely American Georgia-based Contributing Journalist Eric Dobbs