Gov. Jerry Brown just made California the second state in the US to mandate a $15 / hour minimum wage. But instead of spitting up the usual talking points about how great a “living wage” will be for the everyone, Brown admitted that it’s probably a bad idea, then signed the legislation anyway.
“Economically, minimum wages may not make sense,” he said.
But it’s “not just an economic equation,” he said. It’s “part of living in a moral community…Morally and socially and politically (minimum wages) make every sense because it binds the community together and makes sure that parents can take care of their kids in a much more satisfactory way,” Brown said.
That sounds swell, whatever it may mean, but like San Francisco, Seattle, and other Democrat-dominated jurisdictions “binding communities together” with artificially high minimum wage, California wasn’t even willing to impose the $15 figure presently and will instead phase it in by 2022. Which begs the question: if it’s such a great idea, why not do it now? Why not make it even higher? Is it true that, in California, parents are currently raising their kids in a satisfactory enough way now, but someone thinks parenting will take an unsatisfactory turn in 2022?
The answer, of course, is that Jerry Brown, like his “progressive” counterparts in San Francisco et al., wants to score some points with the key Snowflake Coalition while postponing the effects until either he’s not around, or voters are ready to blame high unemployment, etc. on something else. Regardless, as I’m not the first to point out, Brown has all but admitted he’s just helped enact bad policy.
Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers said:
Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girl’s guitar
They’re just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldn’t save the world
From Californication
Sicker than the rest / There is no test / But this is what you’re craving