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Minimum wage hikes contribute to teen unemployment
July 2011 · Michael Saltsman · Detroit Free Press
I have good news for you: Your kids have plenty of time to hone their skills as amateur film critics. They’ll be free to check out the latest mainstream and art house offerings like “Cowboys and Aliens” and “Midnight in Paris.” Perhaps their studies will inspire them to become amateur filmmakers, like the teenage tyros in “Super 8.” The bad news is that they’ll only be able… -
Who Really Makes the Minimum Wage?
April 2011 · Michael Saltsman · Northwest Indiana Times
Indiana and Illinois share a border, but the similarities between the two end there. While the Illinois Legislature considers taxes and mandates, Indiana’s has focused on making the state more business-friendly. For instance, legislators in Springfield have tried to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $10 an hour or more; in Indianapolis, legislation has advanced that would prohibit individual cities and counties from mandating a minimum higher than… -
Raising A Touchy Subject
March 2011 · Michael Saltsman · Array
If I told you that a particular public policy would lead to increases in unemployment among the least skilled workers, and do nothing to alleviate poverty, you’d probably call that policy “anti-worker,” and for good reason. Yet these facts have been ignored in Missouri when it comes to the minimum wage. Despite reams of research showing that increases to the mandated wage result in the negative consequences… -
Only Thing ‘Living Wage’ Raises Is Unemployment, Especially Among Teens
February 2011 · Michael Saltsman · Washington Examiner
An organization called Respect DC has called for retail giant Wal-Mart to pay its employees a “living wage” if they want to locate in the District. Our neighbors to the north of Eastern Avenue have gone a step further; a coalition of labor unions and advocacy groups have launched a “Raise Maryland” campaign to convince that state’s legislature to create a statewide minimum of “living wage” proportions… -
EITC vs. Minimum Wage: Where Should Advocates Place Their Bets?
January 2011 · Michael Saltsman · Tucson Citizen
The best way to lift people out of poverty is to help businesses grow and create jobs. But while a rising tide of economic prosperity can reduce poverty, it won’t end it. There’s general agreement that government has a role to play in helping the less fortunate. But it should do so with an eye to minimizing unintended consequences—which is why it’s time to reevaluate the minimum… -
For Teens, A Decade Of Lost Opportunities
January 2011 · Michael Saltsman · San Diego Union Tribune
If you hopped into a time machine – DeLorean or hot tub, doesn’t matter which – and traveled back to a fast-food operation at the start of the decade, you’d probably notice something different, but you might have a hard time putting your finger on it. Prices might be marginally lower, but that probably won’t be what’s bothering you: a value menu is a value menu, after…