Minimum wage jobs are not meant to be lifelong jobs that can support an entire family. Rather, it is an opportunity for young people and others with limited skills to enter this field.
But Democratic California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who is running for Senate, believes burger flippers should make $50 an hour, according to the New York Post.
This is more than the average American salary for teachers, firefighters, or police officers.
Lee is one of the top four candidates vying for an open U.S. Senate seat in California. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee joined Lee and lone Republican Steve Garvey on stage Monday, ahead of the state's open primary on March 5.
Under California election rules, all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party. The top two vote-getters in the primaries will advance to the general election in November. This debate gave voters an early glimpse into the policies and positions of the main contenders hoping to succeed the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, according to the Reason website.
Lee defended her previous support for a $50 minimum wage by citing studies showing that a six-figure income is barely enough for a family of four to survive in high-cost-of-living areas like the San Francisco Bay Area.
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. California's minimum wage ranges from $16 to $20 per hour, depending on location, according to the newspaper.
Senate candidate Rep. Barbara Lee wants to raise the minimum wage to $50 an hour
– Buzzwire (@Buzzwirehq) February 14, 2024
“In the Bay Area, I think it's been the United Way way,” Lee said when asked how the wage increase was sustainable. “They reported that $127,000 for a family of four is barely enough to get by.”
“Just do the math. Of course we have the national minimum wage that we need to raise to a living wage,” Lee continued. “We're talking about $20, $25 – okay. “But I have to focus on what California needs and what the affordability factor is when we calculate that wage,” she added.
On the other hand, Republican candidate Steve Garvey said that the minimum wage is currently at an appropriate level. Raising it to $20 an hour, as California has done for large employers, would lead to higher prices for consumers, he said.
But California Congressman Adam Schiff, who turned out to be one of the “reasonable” Democrats on stage calling for a minimum wage of just $20 to $25, said the current minimum wage makes it impossible for wage earners to buy a home in California. According to the post.
Yes, it would be, if minimum wage jobs were for families to live on.
As mentioned earlier, minimum wage jobs exist for a reason: they are entry points. They teach valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication and responsibility. It offers flexibility, making it ideal for students or those doing side hustles.
The pay reflects this, offering you a taste of financial independence while encouraging you to upskill and climb the ladder while supporting small businesses that cannot survive without cheap labour.
But many Democrats running for — or already sitting in — some of the highest offices in the country seem to lack a basic understanding that creating a system where everyone has the opportunity to earn a decent standard of living doesn't start with artificially inflating incomes. a point.
Not to mention the devastation such a wage increase could wreak on small business owners.
According to a blog post on the restaurant support site Upmenu, the average annual wage earned by a restaurant owner is about $90,000.
That means many restaurant owners would earn less than they would have to pay for their dishwashers under Lee's plan.
The result will be layoffs or shutdowns due to skyrocketing labor costs, and you can say goodbye to mom-and-pop stores or valuable meals to struggling families.
Former Food Network judge and restaurateur Andrew Gruwell had some choice words for the congresswoman during her appearance on Fox News' “The Ingraham Angle.”
My final thoughts on the proposed $50 minimum wage. pic.twitter.com/tBThNCVR3Z
– Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) February 18, 2024
“Every business in California will go under,” Gruwell said, referring to Lee's plan.
Gruwell noted that this is not a serious proposal and could never work.
“This lady is a moron and a narcissist who says stupid things to get attention at best. At worst, she's trying to buy votes,” Gruwell said.
“This will put upward pressure on all wages. This will inflate the entire California economy, which already exists, and there will be no independent businesses in California. One hundred percent of the businesses will be run by the state and will be dependent on the state,” Gruwell added.
“It is the light of communism,” he said.
Gruwell is likely right about everything he suggested would happen to California under this outrageous plan.
But, as he also noted, California is already halfway there.
After California announced it would raise its minimum wage to $20 starting in April, Pizza Hut announced the layoffs of 1,200 delivery drivers in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, according to Reason.
Meanwhile, major fast food chains such as McDonald's, Chipotle and Jack in the Box say menu prices will rise to offset additional labor costs.
Perhaps it was Gruwell who hit the nail on the head best when he said the end result would be a “lite communism,” where the government controls everything.
Ultimately, every plan proposed by California Democrats seems aimed at achieving this goal.
This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.
