UA students debate livable wage proposition

Tucson voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to raise the minimum wage within city limits to $7 an hour, $1.85 over the national standard.

"A minimum wage tells adults that they are not able to bargain for their wages themselves," said student Libertarian Kirsten Tynan, a University of Arizona graduate student.

The Libertarians were joined in their cause against Proposition 202 by the Tucson Young Republicans, who said they believe businesses will leave Tucson if the bill is passed.

"This will kill small businesses in Tucson," said Republican Stewart McDaniel.

"When you pay someone a certain amount of money, and then have to pay them more and take that out of your profits, you have to choose between those profits and laying someone off."

Representatives from the Tucson Livable Wage Campaign countered the Republican and Libertarian viewpoints.

Jeff Imig, a UA media technician and a TLWC coordinator, argued American workers deserve the pay hike because statistics show a 30 percent increase in productivity over the last 20 years.

"Yet the workers have not seen this increase in their pay," Imig said.

Imig and TLWC chairwoman Carolyn Trowbridge argued that an increase in the minimum wage will increase the buying power of people, which will in turn improve the local economy.

"I think anybody flipping a burger, which is a damned hard job, deserves $7 an hour," Imig said.

"There are no statistics that show that a raise in the minimum wage creates an increase in unemployment."

Among the Libertarians, Tynan was seconded by graduate student Barry Macleod-Cullinane and second-year law student Rachel Alexander.

Alexander added that the Libertarians do not believe that the proposition will help alleviate the poverty situation in Tucson.

"Most of the poor and starving people of Tucson are not making minimum wage. They're unemployed, so this won't help them," said Alexander, a Wildcat columnist.