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Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Indexing a minimum wage boost?

Pugmire at MPR online defines the issue, hiking the minimum wage AND how/whether to index it to track future changes in inflation - cost of living, here. (Never mind what macroeconomic indicator to index against, as an implementation question of some importance.)

Sorensen at Bluestem Prairie has misgivings about doing indexing decision-making by a Constitutional amendment ballot issue. Here, and a follow-up, here.

The minimum wage needs to be reset so that full-time work returns a livable amount of cash. Otherwise, who are we?

Indexing it from then on, why not? However, it appears there is disagreement among DFL folks about whether the legislature votes indexing, or we do. One problem with indexing, using the wrong macroeconomic indicator to peg indexing upon, would be the issue being automated might allow future legislatures to ignore a needed increase by pointing out indexing as an excuse. The other side, obviously, is a Constitutional amendment on indexing would be harder for the dark forces, if voted back into power, to overturn. And do not doubt, the dark forces dislike anything but a sub-poverty minimum wage, and people working hard and falling further behind. It gives them an arrogance high.