New Jersey Policy Perspectivereframes the wage issue

I pass this e-mail from New Jersey Policy Perspective along in its entirety because it pretty much sums up the way too many people in my business approach stories about work and workers:

Minimum Wage Hike is Bad ???
Framing the Issues is Crucial to Progress

The good news for working people in New Jersey is that the state’s minimum wage rose to $7.15 an hour on October 1. The bad news is that the state’s minimum wage rose to $7.15 an hour on October 1.

The good news-bad news equation, of course, reflects the reality that no one can support a family on $7.15 an hour. Many of you were part of the effort that won a two-stage increase to $7.15; you know we tried for more and that we couldn’t get it. That’s a fight for the future.

But something that adds to the frustration over working people not winning economic security is some of the press coverage of the recent increase. The emphasis of the stories is the burden that a $7.15 wage puts on businesses. For a couple of examples check out the Bergen Record and Philadelphia Business Journal.

My purpose here isn’t to beat up on the press, though it would have been nice if they’d sought out some working people to balance the gloomy business reaction. This is a symptom of a larger problem: the pre-occupation with the “business climate.” Sure, New Jersey’s economy needs businesses to thrive. But business climate as the dominant way of framing economic issues is troublesome for two reasons. One, real life is not so one-dimensional and, two, the impact on public policy is not always productive.

NJPP is working on some projects that we think will help in the effort to show the importance of the “working climate” in our state. We need to make sure that work is rewarded and working people are remembered.

I couldn’t have said this better.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.
Unknown's avatar

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.

One thought on “New Jersey Policy Perspectivereframes the wage issue”

  1. The big winner in the \”minimum wage\” is the politicians because they get to be \”champions of the little people\” on the backs of taxpayers, small business, the youth, and the poor. Also winning are the state workers, teachers, and unions because they all are paid based on pay table that will rise with the minimum wage.The big losers are the taxpayers who will pay more for gubamint \”services\” (What a joke!) Also losing are the marginal small business and their workers. (Where are the stories about the victims of this bad law?) Also losing are those people who\’s skills aren\’t worth the minimum wage. I dont\’ understand. Everyone say that you can\’t live on the minimuum wage. (Even thought we know that most people don\’t live on it.) And, we somehow think it\’s better for them to get zero when they lose their job than to work and make something. (Minimum wage jobs are the bottom rung of the economic ladder. You learn and advance.)And, \”everyone\” will prosper with this bad law. SO why didn\’t we make it 20 per hour?

    Reply

Leave a comment