Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Business Journal Q1 2014 | Page 9

U.S. Senator
Mike Enzi
Higher prices,
less jobs is NOT
what Wyoming
needs
As the Administration and the majority party in the Senate attempt
to change the subject from the
failures of Obamacare – including the dysfunctional healthcare.
govwebsite and failed promises
that Americans would be able to
keep the coverage they like - they
are now calling for Congress to
raise the federal minimum wage.
In a speech on Dec. 4, President
Obama called for a higher minimum wage, reiterating his view
that, “It would be good for our
economy. It will be good for our
families.”

and with a national
unemployment rate at
7 percent, Congress
should be looking to
lower unemployment,
not raise it.
I have noted many times that I
was a small business owner. My
wife and I operated shoe stores
in Gillette and Sheridan. I know
that all small business owners
have two families, their own, and
the family of those that work for
them. One cannot credibly claim
to be helping workers while at the
same time hurting the businesses
that employ them, especially under the guise of helping “working
families.”

It appears that politicians in favor
On the most basic level, imposing
of raising the minipay increases
“WHEN SOME PEOPLE GET A WAGE
mum wage fail to
on employers
INCREASE, THEN EVERYONE HAS TO
understand that
through an inGET A WAGE INCREASE TO RECOGNIZE
“working families”
crease in the
THOSE WHO KNOW MORE, DO MORE
are not only those
minimum wage
AND HAVE MORE SKILLS. TO PAY
that are employed
means the govEVERYONE MORE, PRICES HAVE TO GO
by
businesses,
ernment may
UP.”they are also
well force busiSENATOR MIKE ENZI
those who own
nesses to rethe businesses.
duce the hiring
of new workers.
In a time of economic uncertainty,

By increasing the minimum wage,

BANNER IMAGE- The United States Senate, A.D. 1850
Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850

Congress would stifle job creation
and shut the employment door on
the very individuals they are trying to help. Small businesses are
the driver of our economy. The
simple fact is that an increase in
the minimum wage is of no benefit
to a worker without a job, or a job
seeker without a prospect.
Minimum wage increases start an
inflation cycle. When some people
get a wage increase, then everyone has to get a wage increase to
recognize those who know more,
do more and have more skills. To
pay everyone more, prices have to
go up. When this happens people
may make more, but they have to
spend more so they actually don’t
get ahead. At some point, someone actually has to produce more
to get more. That can be done
with new skills or a new idea.
The problem we are facing is one
of minimum skills – not minimum
wages. The effect may be low
wages, but the cause is low skills.

Q1 2014 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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