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Is a $15 minimum wage bad for California’s environment?
August 2019 · Michael Saltsman · The Orange County Register
The Golden State has long prided itself on being a global leader in protecting employees and the environment, but new evidence suggests the state’s “progress” on the employment side is hurting its environmental goals. California’s minimum wage is rising rapidly toward $15, and the wage floor has already surpassed that level in a number of cities. The consequences for small businesses with narrow margins (and the people… -
Blue Dog Democrats Run Away From $15 Wage Fight
July 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Morning Consult
House ”Blue Dog” Democrats position themselves as a voice of reason, promising “commonsense” alternatives to the party’s more progressive members. But if Blue Dogs cave in and support a $15 federal minimum wage that will eliminate up to 3.7 million jobs, it suggests the coalition’s promise is more rhetoric than reality. After Democrats re-took control of the House in 2018, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said a $15 minimum wage was… -
How Many Jobs Would the $15 Minimum Wage Kill?
July 2019 · Michael Saltsman · Wall Street Journal
This is one political promise it’s OK to break. Democrats pledged a $15-an-hour minimum wage while campaigning in 2018, and all but three of the party’s 2020 presidential candidates endorse the increase. But a new report from the Congressional Budget Office finds the policy could leave nearly four million workers without a job. This week’s analysis is an update of CBO’s 2014 analysis of a $10.10 minimum wage, which… -
Why teen summer jobs are far and few between
May 2019 · Samantha Summers · The OC Register
A summer job has become a rite of passage for American teenagers. From scooping ice cream to lifeguarding at the community pool, summer jobs have allowed teens to earn some extra cash before heading back to school in the fall. But over the past few decades, the rate of teenagers looking for summer jobs has fallen significantly. One contributing factor to the decline: Rising state and local… -
Most economists oppose the $15-an-hour minimum wage – Here’s the stunning reason why
March 2019 · Lloyd Corder · Fox News
According to an old saying, if you ask five economists for advice you’ll get five different answers. But when it comes to a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, economists are in near-universal agreement: it’s a bad idea. That’s the conclusion of a new survey conducted by CorCom Inc., the company I head. The survey was released this week by the Employment Policies Institute. The survey coincides with the push… -
Burger-Flipper Arbitrators
March 2019 · Michael Saltsman and Michael Lotito · Wall Street Journal
Now that the Fight for $15 movement has achieved a higher minimum wage in New York City, its backers at the Service Employees International Union want to make fast-food workers hard to fire. City Councilman Brad Lander introduced legislation in February that would effectively abolish at-will employment in chain restaurants—those with 30 or more locations nationwide, whether corporate-owned or franchised. The bill is unprecedented in its scope;…