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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... OUR VIEW Our View: Minimum wage boost is no panacea Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News House and Senate committees in Salem held hearings Monday on raising the minimum wage, but there are multiple competing proposals, and the fate of all of them is unclear at this point. What's clear is that Oregon minimum-wage workers already are better off than most in the country, and there are several reasonable questions about whether a big increase would help or hurt. Oregon's minimum wage is now $9.25 an hour, second highest in the nation after Washington's, and it has been indexed to inflation since 2002, when voters approved a ballot measure to do so. Oregon's cost of living is lower than Washington's and California's. There is a national movement to boost minimum wages to $15 an hour. Advocates say that's the amount needed to lift minimum wage workers out of poverty and get them off public assistance, thus saving taxpayers that cost while pumping more disposable income into the economy. Seattle adopted an ordinance last year that will raise the minimum wage to $15 in that city by 2021. Oregon law bars local governments from enacting their own minimum wages. It's nice to think that a 60 percent wage increase for the lowest-paid workers would cure poverty and boost the economy all in one fell swoop, while forcing overpaid CEOs to shave a tiny bit off their top-1 percent compensation. But that's magical thinking. For starters, raising the minimum wage just tells employers what they have to pay, not where to find the money. If you think corporate CEOs will take it out of their salaries, think again. The other problem is that a sizable number of minimum-wage workers are employed by small businesses, not big corporations. What's more likely is that employers will find the money by cutting staff — that means jobs — or raising prices, or both. Then there's the political reality. Senate President Peter Courtney has said he won't bring a minimum wage increase to the floor this session, although pressure is building among majority Democrats. Some Democrats, however, worry that forcing through a minimum wage hike could doom another measure to require sick leave for all Oregon workers. Instead of pushing for what sounds good, lawmakers should focus on what will actually work, and wait to see how other experiments with big increases pan out. There are too many workers in this state and nation who are not paid fair wages, but passing a one-size-fits-all fix that purports to create hundreds of millions of dollars in new wages with no ill effects on business or job numbers may be one of those too-good-to-be-true deals.   MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501