Thank You, Councilman Englander

The Los Angeles City Council just raised the rate of business closures and unemployment in their municipal environs.

How?

By forcing up the minimum wage.

Fourteen of the fifteen  members of LA City Council signed off on the feel-good city ordinance, requiring a record number of businesses to start raising their minimum wage.

Only one City Councilmember had the courage to vote against forcing the minimum wage:

Mitchell Englander

Mitchell Englander.

The Los Angeles Times was the one source so far which I found that reported on his brave decision to vote against this foolish ordinance:

Councilman Mitchell Englander, the council’s only Republican, cast the lone opposing vote. In a statement, he said the council action could “make it impossible for entire industries to do business” in Los Angeles.

City leaders were not thinking about what the entire industries would need.

“The very last thing that we should be doing as a city is creating a competitive disadvantage for our businesses with those in neighboring cities,” said Englander, who represents the northwest San Fernando Valley.

While the Los Angeles Times goes out of its way to shame conservatives and Republicans, this report affirms that the Republicans in local office are thinking about the short and long term.

Forcing the wage does not help minimum wage workers. The appearance of wealth will not generate more purchasing power.

It's just that simple.

So, why did the city councilmembers vote for this? To get votes. They know that this measure will not help working people. More people will be out of work, and who knows where they will go afterwards.

So far, Mr. Englander, the only Republican, articulated the true and correct position about the minimum wage hike.

Let us hope that his tribe increases in the Los Angeles area.

Until then, thank you, Mr. Englander!