This article isn't surprising. Gov. Dayton is turning into the most anti-private sector governor in recent Minnesota history. Here's the latest information on Gov. Dayton's anti-small business agenda:
As Minnesota legislators debate raising the state's minimum wage, Gov. Mark Dayton says he'd be comfortable with hiking the rate to $9 or $9.50 per hour.
The Democratic governor said Wednesday, March 6, that a minimum range in that territory is a "good target." The state's wage floor is currently $6.15 but most workers at that level qualify for the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
The state last raised its minimum wage in 2005.
Legislation moving through the House and Senate varies on the size of an increase, with the House plan hitting $10.55 per hour within three years.
Both proposals link future increases to the rate of inflation, which would take the decision out of the hands of lawmakers going forward. Dayton says he supports making future increases automatic.
First, this isn't being done to help poor people. Union wages are frequently tied to the minimum wage. Indexing the minimum wage to inflation is essentially indexing union wages to inflation.
Next, and most importantly, increasing the minimum wage this dramatically will increase teen unemployment. Business owners don't make money by paying an employee more than they produce.
The only way to increase wages is by giving businesses the opportunity to create things of value. Insisting on artificially increasing wages isn't the way to create things that add value to Minnesota's economy.
The DFL hasn't figured out that the best way to make Minnesota prosperous again is to make Minnesota businesses profitable again. The other explanation is that the DFL will continue to insist that they're creating jobs while they're implementing an anti-growth economic agenda.
Frankly, it's more likely that the DFL has chosen the latter than the former.
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