See no truth: Minimum wage argument poked full of holes

The current argument over increasing the minimum wage is a perfect example of two truths: 1. Politicians only hear what they want to hear; and 2. They will say or vote for anything that gives the semblance of solving a problem, even if it doesn't.

A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office Tuesday found that while increasing the minimum wage might help some people, it would cost hundreds of thousands of others their jobs.

The office also pointed out that a small percentage of those who work for minimum wage do so as their primary source of income. Many of the workers who receive minimum wage are actually part of a much higher income household.

So, increasing the minimum wage would be a detriment to employment and help only a small band of people.

"Foul," cried the Democrats, who came out en masse today to explain why they only accept half of the report -- the part that showed an increase in income (you know, the positive part that makes them look good).

They simply decided to jettison the other part of the office's findings (you know, the truth part).

Now isn't that an interesting way to handle news -- simply discard the part that doesn't make your plan look good?

Sigh. Politics as usual.

This is simply another Band-Aid on a much bigger problem. Minimum wage is not the issue -- the lack of education and training to ascend to a better job is.

And then there is also the problem of a lack of jobs, which has been pointed out many times. People need the chance to work, and right now, the opportunities just aren't there.

So don't see altruism in the call for higher wages for poor people. This is a political push designed to pretend that someone in Washington cares about the jobless rate. And it occurs, curiously, soon after a recent poll revealed that unemployment and the economy are topping Americans' list of concerns.

How coincidental.

This country needs a serious look at how to get the economy and the job market moving again and that means examining all the facts, even if we don't like them.

And, truth is, one of the first actions taken should be getting the government out of the way.

Acknowledging the findings in this latest report is one of the first steps.

But getting Washington to get out of campaign mode -- especially in the wake of the Obamacare debacle -- just might be one very long row to hoe.

Published in Editorials on February 19, 2014 11:12 AM