On Jan 1st Vermont’s minimum wage increases by 5% One wonders what this does for the employment numbers.
As the Free Press says, “That means the lowest paid Vermonters will see their pay go from $7.68 an hour to $8.06.”
In order to afford this, grocers and convenience store owners are hiking prices by 10% to 15% to offset the wage and withholding hikes. One immediate consequence is the minimum wage workers can’t buy the groceries they bag or the gas they ring up.
The incoming legislature promised to repair this quickly by fiat, rolling back prices and initiating job protection. Guaranteed employment is Job One in Vermont!
Another adjustment is forthcoming to service workers (tipped employees) income. The taxes on tips are never fully collected; underreporting is rampant. According to the legislature, they’re correcting this by raising service workers’ wages to $15.50 an hour and banning tipping. Now the State will fully collect the taxes due for earnings.
The price of a meal will go up; remember though, you won’t have that onerous tip for mediocre service.
As for the restaurateur, he’s a capitalist and gouging you anyway. Besides, he’s hiring illegals and paying them off the books; he pockets the money and gets rich.
Filed under: Democrats | Tagged: Minimum wage, Satire, Socialists
