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California businesses at the breaking point due to minimum wage hikes
December 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Orange County Register
California’s minimum wage rises to $13 an hour on Jan. 1, and a number of its localities now have wage rates above $15 an hour. Labor groups promised that $15 would be an economic boon for the state, while then-Gov. Jerry Brown worried that “economically, the minimum wage may not make sense.” The state’s experience with rapidly rising wage rates show the former governor was right to… -
Rising minimum wage hurts more than it helps
November 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Tri-City Herald
Just because an idea is politically popular doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Someone should tell that to the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, most of whom have come out in support of a $15 federal minimum wage. The evidence coming out of Washington State suggests such a policy is bad news for employers and employees alike. Washington considers itself a leader on mandated wage rates. Seattle was… -
$15 minimum wage hurting (not helping) restaurants, workers as more states prepare to hike
November 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Fox Business
A new year is fast approaching and 2020 could be a painful one for our nation’s restaurants: 24 states and the District of Columbia will raise their minimum wages effective New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Labor unions and their allies are cheering the policy change, but the evidence shows unreasonable wage floors are no cause for celebration — they are, in fact, destroying restaurant scenes in some of the… -
Is Denver’s restaurant boom about to go bust?
October 2019 · Michael Saltsman · The Colorado Sun
The Denver City Council is poised to one-up the state by raising the city’s minimum wage to more than $15 an hour by 2021. This decision will add Denver to a growing anthology of cautionary tales from across the country. The role that restaurants and bars played in the city’s revitalization is well known. In the 1990s, the city experienced a rapid development boom, particularly in the… -
How San Francisco Is Killing Its Restaurants
October 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Wall Street Journal
Labor costs and regulation are ruining a once-thriving industry. Congress should take it as a cautionary tale. San Francisco was once known for trendy restaurants with lines out the door. Today, the city’s restaurateurs are concerned with keeping their doors open at all. Restaurant closings outpace openings by 9%, according to Yelp data analyzed by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. In a recent meeting with the Board of Supervisors,… -
Does ‘no tipping’ have future in Michigan?
October 2019 · Michael Saltsman · The Detroit News
Have Michigan restaurants hit a tipping point on the practice of tipping? Detroit restaurant Magnet opened late last month with a novel “no tipping” policy, where menu prices are higher and staff receive a salary instead of tip income. The following week, Birmingham Italian restaurant La Strada announced it would implement a similar policy. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, praised both restaurants, writing on her Facebook page…