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The Follies of Arizona Prop 202
Called the "Raise the Minimum Wage for Working Arizonans Act,"Arizona Proposition 202 would establish a $6.75-per-hour state minimum wage. In addition, it includes annual raises based on inflation for minimum-wage earners and creates an intricate and invasive system for wage complaints.
One of the chief proponents of the measure is a socialist group called the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. The grassroots organization has operatives in 90 cities and is promoting a National Campaign to raise the minimum wage through states and cities.
ACORN representative, Alicia Russel, recently spoke out in favor of Prop 202, suggesting that the high cost of living here in Arizona is cultivating a state full of haves and have-nots.
"A lot of the people that are getting rich are getting richer," she said. "(People) that are getting poor are getting poorer. And (the former) are driving around in Mercedes and BMWs and they don't see that. It is almost like they don't want to see that. It's easier to not see it than to deal with it."
It is quite debatable whether or not Arizona is generating a population of individuals who are progressively getting poorer. It is also ridiculous to suggest that the state has a high cost of living, especially if one compares Phoenix to other similar metropolitan areas.
ACORN supports wealth redistribution policies that undermine the economic vitality of a society rather than those the allow/protect prosperity and the creation of wealth. Well, actually the group supports such policies inacted on other businesses and organizations.
You see, in 1995 ACORN sued the state of California to get itself declared exempt from California labor law, so it would not have to pay the minimum wage to its own employees. In its brief submitted to the Court of Appeal, ACORN argued, "The more that ACORN must pay each individual outreach worker—either because of minimum wage or overtime requirements—the fewer outreach workers it will be able to hire."
The group actually agreed with free market economists that the minimum wage law will negatively impacts unemployment and productivity.
Posted by tim at October 7, 2006 8:40 PM
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