Post #12: Minimum Wage
Yep, I've finally gotten around to this. This will be more of a rant actually, since I can't think of any solution to the problem of increasing minimum wage and benefits without hurting small businesses. I can see how this could be a lose-lose situation, unlike with big businesses. I cannot understand how big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart would lose money by paying their minimum-wage workers more money. These are billion-dollar businesses that can afford to pay all of their workers a living wage. Why don't they do so? Profit of the company cannot come at the expense of its workers, no matter how you spin your reasoning. CEOs and other executives can live off of $1 million or even--if you're being generous--$2 million a year just as well as they can off of $50 million. It's greed on their part, no matter what way you look at it. That's why they build more and more stores--for the company's bottom line, not for the welfare of new employees. Hopefully, Chicago can manage to see how unfare these business practices are, and decide upon a solution that benefits all. Then we can begin to see change. And to accompany that change, the city should also provide more support (in the form of loans, grants, and training) to small businesses, so they can grow and prosper instead of fold under the threat of competition of big business. The two should be able to coexist.