My recent letter to the Waterbury Republican-American.
March 2, 2018(My recent letter to the Waterbury Republican-American.)
Higher minimum wage means fewer jobs
Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, is spot-on in her arguments for blocking future increases in Connecticut’s minimum wage, as called for in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s State of the State address (Feb. 24 editorial, “Thwart plan for pay raise”).
Quassy Amusement Park owner George Frantzis noted several years ago that each 50-cent increase in the minimum wage would cost his family business at least $150,000. For him, higher wages also mean fewer employees. Many small businesses simply will pass their higher labor costs on to you and me, the consumers.
In 2012, Roy Occhiogrosso, then strategist to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, noted, “There are only so many times you can say Connecticut is open for business,” and said his boss was “not sure that raising the minimum wage is the right way to go. He is definitely concerned that increasing the minimum wage would send the wrong message.”
Message sent, Governor.
Eric C. Berthel
Watertown
Sen. Berthel, a Republican, represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown and Woodbury, as well as parts of Middlebury and Seymour.
http://www.rep-am.com/opinion/letters-opinion/2018/02/28/higher-minimum-wage-means-fewer-jobs/