By Michael J. Urena
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 4, 1997

Livable wage beneficial to Tucson

Editor:

I would like to suggest that UA students register for Jim Ratliff's economics class or become an economics Grad student, like Doug Bennett. If Jim and Doug's letters to the editor stating their opposition to Prop 202 and raising the minimum wage, are any indication, students need not cite studies or use logic to be successful in economics. Sounds like easy A's to me.

Before crying wildly about unemployment they might want to trickle-down to the library and take a look at studies from the Economic Policy Institute concerning the last federal minimum wage increase and a book called "Myth and Measurement" dealing with the minimum wage increase in New Jersey. By using THEORY, FACTS and HISTORY they will find that raising the minimum wage has not created any increased unemployment.

Studies in California and Massachusetts also confirm this economic FACT based on HISTORICAL EVIDENCE.

Before they write letters holding up the specter of inflation as a Holy Grail, they might want to consider that inflation has outpaced the minimum wage for the past 20 years. If the minimum wage had been adjusted for inflation it would be $7.40 an hour!

To answer Mr. Bennett's question, $7/hr has been selected as the minimum wage goal because it will improve the stability of families living on the edge of homelessness. This is a FACT, supported by EVIDENCE, gathered from around the country where the minimum wage has been increased. Clearly the increase in the minimum wage will help those it is designed to. To make this point clear, look at who's funding the opposition. Doug and Jimmy's arguments may be good for acquiring grants, but they do not work in the real world.

I would have at least expected an economics' professor to know what the minimum wage is, but he misstates it as $5.25. In the real world, the current minimum wage is $5.15.

The Minimum Wage initiative has made an issue of low wages in Tucson. It has also presented needed THEORY, FACTS and HISTORY to a debate that is lopsided. Don't be scared by threats and wild academic conjecture, help the economy, vote yes on 202.

Michael J. Urena
Media Technician Supervisor
University Teaching Center