"We cannot say that anyone has a 'right' to a 'living wage,' for that would mean that someone would be coerced into providing him with such a wage, and that would violate the property rights of the people being coerced.
As a corollary this means that, in the free society, no man may be saddled with the legal obligation to do anything for another, since that would invade the former’s rights; the only legal obligation one man has to another is to respect the other man’s rights."
Minimum Wage, Maximum Folly If I must pay $6.25 or $7.25 an hour to whomever I hire, does it make sense for me to hire a worker whose skills enable him to produce only $4.00 worth of value per hour? - Walter Williams, March 23, 2005 [Capitalism Magazine]
How the “Living Wage”
Sneaks Socialism into Cities Over the last decade, a savvy left-wing political movement, supported by radical economic groups, liberal foundations, and urban activists, has lobbied for a government-guaranteed “living wage” for low-income workers, considerably higher than the current minimum wage. - Steven Malanga, Winter 2003 [City Journal]
Why Racists and Unions Support Minimum Wages History has seen many calls for minimum wages for the same reason -- to eliminate competition with workers who'd work for less. - Walter Williams, November 12, 2003 [Capitalism Magazine]
'Living Wage' Kills Jobs As imposed wage rates rise, so do job qualifications, so that less skilled or less experienced workers become "unemployable." Think about it. Every one of us would be "unemployable" if our pay rates were raised high enough. - Thomas Sowell, November 6, 2003 [Capitalism Magazine]
'Living' Wage Measures Hurt Business and Poor The simple truth is that you cannot foster economic growth by decree. Try as it might, government cannot create jobs; entrepreneurs create jobs. - Adam B. Summers, October 10, 2003 [LewRockwell.com]
Killed by the 'Living Wage' Businessmen in Santa Fe, New Mexico, are going to court to defend their most basic economic right—the ability to voluntarily negotiate wages with their employees. - S.M. Oliva, January 1, 2003 [Capitalism Magazine]
The Living Wage Myth A new study has been seized upon by proponents as a "proof text" against critics of living-wage laws. At most, the study only shows that some low-income workers may gain more than other low-income workers lose. - Gary M. Galles, March 28, 2002 [Mises]
The truth about the so-called 'living wage' Government can't give anyone anything it hasn't first taken from someone else. Understanding this simple point is all that is necessary to see the basic lunacy of living wage laws. - Bruce Bartlett, March 19, 2002 [TownHall.com]
Suffering in Santa Monica Santa Monica, California, is a fancy beach town that, for decades, has succumbed to every temptation against sound economic principles, and the latest outrage is going to cause anguish like never before. - Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., June 1, 2001 [LewRockwell.com]
Minimum Wage: Yet Another GOP Retreat True compassion does not lie in drop-kicking principles, especially when the result harms people. True compassion lies in making a credible, persuasive case for opposing minimum wage hikes. True compassion lies in maintaining the course, even if it takes a while before critics appreciate the journey. - Larry Elder
Minimum Wage, Maximum Stupidity As to the minimum wage, its damage is documented, the lack of beneficial effect well known among economists. How, then, can so many otherwise normal, intelligent people be so wrong? - Larry Elder
The Miraculous Minimum Wage So you see, just like in a horror movie when the evil demon is chasing you, there’s no escape from the magic of social justice. - James Ostrowski, September 1, 2000 [LewRockwell.com]
Minimum Wage Redux The persistence of poverty in an age of plenty is a genuine tragedy. Unfortunately, raising the minimum wage would make the problem worse. - Doug Bandow, November 1, 1999 [CATO]
"Living Wage" Kills Jobs Despite the fact that nearly every study of the economic impact of minimum wage laws demonstrates that they are job-killers, labor unions and 'community activists' are on a campaign to promote them in states and cities across the land. They even want to amend the U. S. Constitution to mandate a $10 an hour minimum wage. - Richard Berman, March 24, 1997 [NCPA]
The Minimum Wage Instead of raising their income, the actual effect of the law is to cut off the bottom few rungs of the employment ladder, rendering it harder for low-skilled workers to achieve moderate-paying jobs. - James M. Liebler, December 1995 [The Future of Freedom Foundation]
Minimum Wage Debate: ACORN'S Story - Believe it or Nut! ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is a national organization that has been active in promoting the living wage movement. - "In 1995, ACORN sued the state of California in order to avoid paying their own employees the state’s then-$4.25-an-hour minimum wage." - Includes a copy of ACORN's 20-page appellant brief (PDF format). - [Employment Policies Institute]NOTE: I have the PDF document. I can email you a copy if you let me know. - Mark Valenti
The Freedom Wage I would invite all the proponents of living wage laws and mandatory health care coverage to start a business and abide by these and other rules they support. If they don’t, won’t or can’t, they have absolutely no right to even ask this of anyone else. This is comparable to your neighbor dictating how much you should spend on your groceries, gas and clothing, or how much allowance you should pay your children. Rather than the minimum wage or the living wage, perhaps we should try the Freedom Wage where the price of labor is freely agreed upon by those doing the work and those paying for it.
- Emiliano Antunez, May 3, 2006 [Strike the Root]
'Super Size Me' creator goes on a minimum wage diet For "30 Days", Spurlock and his significant other, Alexandra Jamieson, will try to live on minimum wage ($5.15 an hour) for a month in Columbus, Ohio. - Terry Morrow, June 10, 2005 [The News-Observer]
Valenti's Comment: Spurlock's program demonstrates the ease that a willing person can get that first all-important entry-level job.
Three Cheers for Wal-Mart ...it must offer a market wage or risk its employees going elsewhere, and it deals with employees on a voluntary basis. - Edwin A. Locke, February 22, 2004 [Capitalism Magazine]
Make Yourself Useful From shiftless bum to employee. Who can argue with that? - Adam Young, July 1, 2003 [Mises]
In Defense of Outsourcing ...few of us realize just how essential this 'cold calculus' is for the long-run welfare of laborers themselves. - Steven Piraino, January 24, 2002 [Mises]
Wages and Worth - Bob Murphy, December 30, 2000 [LewRockwell.com]
Repeal the Minimum Wage There's just no getting around the fact that if you use the law to price something higher than people think it's worth, that thing will go unbought. - Sheldon Richman, May 1996 [The Future of Freedom Foundation]
In Defense of Child Labor Instead of harassing small businesses, I have a better idea. Let's raid the Department of Labor and toss the slothocracy out on the street. Maybe they can get some real jobs in fast-food restaurants. . . as long as they're willing to compete with America's young people newly enfranchised by the repeal of all child-labor laws. - Lew Rockwell, May 1990 [LewRockwell.com]
