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The main reason that the NYTimes has been able to do this is a discredited study that appeared in the American Economic Review by two Princeton economists, Card and Krueger, who interviewed "managers" at a sample of New England fast-food restaurants before and after state minimum wage increases, and claimed to find that employment actually INCREASED. A follow-up study by the Employment Policies Institute in DC revealed glaring errors when it asked the surveyed restaurants to check their actual payroll records. The corrected data showed significant employment LOSSES, as theory predicts and every other study has shown. It appears that Card and Krueger interviewed "shift managers" who didn't have a clue about how many people were employed. But their trashy study got published because they are big-wigs in academia, and the left now uses this horrible study as cover, claiming that there is "evidence" that increasing the minimum wage may actually increase employment! Sigh . . . .

ON THE MINIMUM WAGE
My problem is that I see the mwl as the root cause(or a contributary) of every social problem in our society from drugs, to crime, outsourcing of jobs and closing of manufacturing plants. In Alaska, Texas and all coastal areas, fishermen want bigger and bigger boats to get ever larger catches at sea. Then they complain that the ocean is fished out as their catch is less and less. Of course, they complain that they cannot meet their ever higher mortgage on the boat(s). The price of fish goes up and up.

The apartment house operation is interesting as well. They overpay for a building and take advantage of inflation to raise rents at every opportunity. The price of a property(in the LA area) has far exceeded the ability of the building to generate the necessary revenue to cover the cost and pay the mortgage. The investors bid up the price and use tax write offs to pay cash for it. The rich get richer. They love the mwl. Each time it is raised, they can smell that extra cash and they raise their rents(more inflation).

I live in the past. In 1960, the mwl was raised from $1ph to $1.35. Most businesses that employed young people felt that 35% increase was too costly and did not hire as many as been their practice. That following summer the unemployed childrem flocked to the beach in California. There they learned about the drug scene and what getting 'high' is/was all about. The 'flower children', 'hippies', etc. Manson and Sharon Tate were just a few of the victims. I also think our society suffered as well.

I have observed that the minimum wage is part of the reason for some of the distortions we face. People cannot remember when we did not have a minimum wage law and it is reflected in their attutude about their lives and about government. Many/most think it is a normal function of government. And, they could not conceive of living in a free and open society without it. They don't seem to understand that the cost of living goes up faster than the their wage rate. From an average of 2-3% before 1961 to 20% under Jimmy Carter. I think the NY Times had it right up til now.

During the tribute to Reagan a few weeks ago, it was indicated that he got a very small percentage of the black vote. I think that is because he preached 'self reliance' and the blacks(as a group) have never understood it. When you hear about education progress reports, it is always followed by the minority progress report.

From slavery onward, they seem to be waiting for the next handout. Jessie Jackson coherse big corporations to offer big handouts as he takes a piece of the pie. You did notice that his son has a Coca Cola distributorship.

Have you ever heard of Walter Williams? He is a black conservative. Look him up on Google.

That is my soapbox.
RHS
SMITHRHENT@AOL.COM