My Undeserved Raise; Courtesy of the Federal Government

On July 24 the American minimum wage will increase by 70 cents to an arbitrary rate of $7.25 an hour.  Since I work for the minimum wage, I’ll be seeing a fairly large chunk of change being added to my paychecks.  However, I don’t see the increase as necessarily beneficial to me, or to my fellow Americans.  

First of all, relatively few Americans actually work for the minimum wage.  I believe the number is less than five percent.  So already, we have a law that only benefits a relatively small amount of people.  Second of all, increasing minimum wage will increase inflation on the already struggling dollar.  

Perhaps Congress thought they were being nice and giving minimum wage earners a better shot at achieving the American Dream; but do the pros outweigh the cons? 

I’m going to have to say a most emphatic no.  Minimum wage earners are not the only people being affected by this law.  This law has huge consequences for business owners.  They have to pay their workers that 70 cents more and still make a decent profit off their product or service.  In order to do this at a steady rate, they’re going to have to make some cuts, or more likely, increase prices.  When prices increase, you’re going to see a decrease in customers, and when customers stop coming…well, you understand basic economics. 

Business owners should be free to decide for themselves how much they pay their employees.  You might say; “But they’ll just take advantage of their workers and pay them an unspeakably low wage.”  This is not very likely.  Competition between businesses will ensure that workers get paid fairly, without the inflation caused by a minimum wage increase.  If a worker is dissatisfied with one employer, he can find another that will pay him more. 

Letting businesses decide their own employees’ wages is a much more practical way to ensure economic growth.  Businesses will be free to grow, unrestrained by federal regulations. 

Do I really deserve this 70 cent increase at the expense of America’s economy?

Limiting Smokers’ Rights

The recently passed federal tax on cigarettes is entirely unconstitutional and immoral.  The tax on one pack of cigarettes increased from 39 cents to $1.01.  The government must see smokers as intrinsically stupid and harmful to society.  Many people that smoke want to quit and cannot.  Smoking is not just a relaxing ritual, it’s addictive and overpowering.  So why are taxes increasing? 

Well, it is true that when when the cost of smoking goes up, the consumption drops.  But it is not the government’s job to control peoples’ personal lives.  The government is supposed to be of the people, for the people.  All this tax does is polarize America.  Those who smoke, and those who stand up for individual rights, are pitted against those who think government needs to stop people from harming themselves.

Another reason people agree with this tax is that the money will go towards the federally funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program.  Nobody is going to disagree with helping kids, that’s not the issue.  The problem here is that money is being taken from the consumers and put to whatever cause the government sees fit.  We TAX PAYERS ARE NOT STUPID!  We can decide what to do with our own money!  In fact, I’d like to support children in need of Health Insurance.  Big government is exerting its control over our daily lives and it must be stopped.

This isn’t the only limit on the rights of smokers.  23 states have bans against smoking in most public places.  This number includes Virginia, North Carolina, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming recently added to the list.  The law in Virginia bans smoking in private bars and restaurants if they do not have a separate room and a separate ventilation system for smoking sections.  This is a private issue!  Patrons of restaurants understand the risks of secondhand smoke, and they choose to eat food where they want to.  If someone doesn’t like a restaurants policy, they are not forced to eat there.

Both of these policies will cost businesses and individuals millions of dollars.  The Government somehow believes that it is helping the people, but this perverse view should not be tolerated.