Progressives will admit higher prices hurt those with the lowest incomes, but when it comes to raising the price of labor they ignore that very economic reality: Charging more for X discourages X from being consumed.
When you raise the price of employing someone: Fewer people will be employed, smaller businesses will be hurt disproportionately, low skilled employees will not get a chance to get their foot in the door, people with little experience will not get opportunities or on the job experiences, oligopolies will result meaning fewer options for consumers and employees and higher costs for goods and services.
Congresswoman Cortez said the fact that McDonalds in Denmark pays more than McDonalds in America it clearly wouldn’t be an issue to raise the minimum wage in America.
See the scam?
She claims that “Since multinational billion dollar corporation X can afford Y, all companies in America should be forced to pay for Y.”
Saying McDonalds, a multi billion dollar corporation can afford to pay high wages, is like saying “Houses and health care should go up in price. Jeff Bezos, LeBron James, The Walton Family, and Oprah can afford it!”
No mention of smaller competing start ups which are trying to compete with the big guys, which as we have seen don’t always last. Sam Goody, Sears, Blockbuster, A&P Grocers, Kodak, MySpace, all huge companies that failed since they faced competition.
Finally the Progressive may say, “If a business can’t pay X amount per hour, they deserved to lose everything.” To which I say, “My body my choice.” If I choose to contract for $0.00 an hour as an intern, you have no right to stop me. If I CHOOSE to work for $0.00 an hour, for thousands for hours as everyone does in college, I have the right to do so. People who volunteer for charities get $0.00 an hour. I work and invest time in my business for $0.00 an hour.
AOC, stop using your institutional power to coercively control the working class.
It is utterly embarrassing that “pay people enough to live” is a stance that’s even up for debate.
Override the parliamentarian and raise the wage. McD’s workers in Denmark are paid $22/hr + 6 wks paid vacation. $15/hr is a deep compromise – a big one, considering the phase in.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 3, 2021
