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Fri, Mar

LA’s Minimum Wage Raise: Can be Good for Workers and Biz

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LATINO PERSPECTIVE-The City Council vote last week to raise the minimum wage from $9 to $10.50 in July 2016, followed by annual increases until 2020 is a smart move from our local elected officials to lift the working poor in the city out of poverty. Los Angeles is a city that has some of the highest housing costs in the country, and where nearly 1 in 4 people lives below the poverty line. "Today, help is on the way for the 1 million Angelenos who live in poverty," Mayor Eric Garcetti said. 

The Latino community, which now constitutes over 49% of the residents of Los Angeles is for the most part composed of hard working, law abiding individuals and business owners with an entrepreneurial spirit. 

Growing up in Mexico City, I saw the striking inequality that still exists there between the rich and the poor.  As Americans, and residents of LA, we must do all that we can to pull together as a city, to lift our  people out of poverty, and create a path for those hard working Angelenos towards the middle class. For it’s only when we have a vibrant middle class that a city can prosper. 

At the same time we have to take into account the needs and concern of businesses, many of them are owned and run by Latinos. The only Councilman to vote against this measure was Mitchell Englander, who said he felt raising the minimum wage above that of other Southern California communities might lead businesses to cut working hours and jobs and make it impossible for entire industries to do business. 

Councilmember Englander has a point, and it may take some time for businesses to adjust to the new wages, no good thing is ever easy. However, as our local government helps its people, it should also create incentives like tax credits to attract new businesses to Los Angeles, and to prevent established businesses from leaving the city by cutting red tape, lower taxes, and get rid of senseless regulations that make it difficult for business to thrive in our city. Raising the minimum wage and helping businesses thrive go hand in hand, we can’t afford to do one thing without the other. 

The Center for Economic and Public Research said that in 2014 job creation was faster in states that raised the minimum wage. Los Angeles is the 2nd largest city in the country. We don’t have to wait for the State to raise the minimum wage for all. 

We can lead in this effort, and show the business community that Los Angeles is open for business. And, that Los Angeles is a city where if you work hard, and play by the rules you can have a good life, and provide your family with a decent living. Let’s prove Councilmember Englander wrong.

 

(Fred Mariscal came to Los Angeles from Mexico City in 1992 to study at the University of Southern California and has been in LA ever since. He is a community leader who serves as Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition and sits on the board of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council representing Larchmont Village.  He was a candidate for Los Angeles City Council in District 4. Fred writes Latino Perspective for CityWatch and can be reached at: [email protected]

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