Frank J. Cuccia 

A Livable Wage

 

  A Livable wage is necessary for the Main Street Economy to work. Small businesses cannot thrive if the majority of their working customers don't have discretionary income. Small businesses for the most part offer items that are not necessities.

   When the Main Street Economy is depressed, as it is now, there are not enough customers with discretionary income to support local small business. As long as this remains the case small businesses will continue to struggle or fail, the shops that use to fill our shopping areas will continue to disappear.

   I am convinced that if we raise the minimum wage to a livable wage the Main Street Economy would thrive. Small businesses would especially benefit from seeing their customers being paid a livable wage. Since, small businesses have not been the focus of their representatives for decades, a vast majority of them are in dire straits.

   As a result of their unstable condition, I would only proposed a raise of the minimum wage to $14 to $16 per every hour worked (no exemptions for part-time work) on companies grossing more than a million dollars a year. This would immediately put in the Quad Cities' economy tens of millions of dollars a year. This would give our small businesses thousands of customers with an extra two hundred dollars per week in their pocket.  This kind of legislation would put small businesses back on a path to profitability.

   There are also a few ancillary benefits associated with such legislation. 1. The competitive advantage big box stores have over small businesses would lessen. 2. The amount of tax dollars needed to support those earning poverty wages would shrink. Food Stamp handouts would shrink.  3. Small businesses would have to hire more people. 4. The added taxes collected would put the state on better footing without having to raise taxes. 5. There would be more money for schools.

   And multi-million dollar corporations would no longer be able to shove the burden of their employees on to the taxpayor.

 

  **** As far as costing jobs is concerned.  At the start of 2014, 13 states raised their minimum wage and 9 of them saw a greater percentage increase than the states that did not. Companies are too lean to cut jobs. And as far as, the argument that companies will just automate. They are doing anyway, today, right now! Appelbee's, Chilis and others are beginning to do away with servers. So regardless if we force companies to pay a livable wage or not they will automate. At least with this legislation the people left working will be able to support their family and work toward the American Dream.