Wednesday, November 6, 2013

AFTNJ: Minimum Wage Hike Will Destroy Jobs

Americans for Prosperity state director Daryn Iwicki has issued the following statement in response to passage of a constitutional amendment on the minimum wage.
“Over the past dozen years, our liberal legislature has adopted a failing Keynesian, big-government agenda that’s inflicted severe damage on our state’s economy, fiscal condition and unemployment picture. Imposing these bad policies by statute is one thing because future legislatures can roll them back and fix the mistakes of the past.
“That’s why no matter where one stands on the minimum wage, amending our state constitution to impose a wage hike and then tying future increases to CPI is both reckless and stupid. And it’s disturbing to say the least that liberals in control of the legislature have resorted to abusing the amendment process to get back at the governor and achieve a policy victory they could not otherwise accomplish through the normal legislative process.
“Unfortunately, many have been led to believe that raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do and have been swayed by what amounts to feel-good politics. After all, who doesn’t want fellow citizens to have a little more in their pockets? But feel-good politics will not lead to feel-good results.
“The very New Jersey workers this aims to help, teenagers and low-skilled workers in particular, will be the ones hurt the most in the way of lost jobs and opportunity. Small businesses will be hurt by having to cope with yet another onerous mandate they cannot afford. And consumers will be hurt because of a ripple effect in wages that will manifest itself in higher prices at the check-out counter.

“Worst of all, what’s been done cannot be undone so easily. New Jerseyans will now have to suffer the consequences of their choice for the foreseeable future. And that’s bad news for all of us.”

No comments: