Comes now the issue of the $15 minimum wage, one of those issues championed by the left that was predicted to have catastrophic results if enacted.
Sticking their heads firmly in the sand, the liberal left in places like New York State refused to study, investigate, or reason with the voices who protested, recommended caution, or who suggested another way. Instead the hands on the whip enacted legislation to achieve their political ends back in 2016.
Now, those chickens have come home to roost.
In New York State, a law was enacted that increased the minimum wage as subdivided by the following entities:
New York City — big employers defined as 11 or more employees
New York City — small employers defined as 10 or fewer employees
Long Island, Westchester
The balance of New York State
For New York City, the minimum wage was raised to $15/hour on 31 December 2018.
Opponents of this new law had pleaded before its inception during the debate that they could not sustain that level of compensation and would ultimately go out of business.
So, what happened, Big Red Car?
What happened, dear reader, based on an August 2019 survey by the NYC Hospitality Alliance was the following:
1. 75%+ of restaurant/hospitality employers cut employee hours across the board;
2. 33%+ of employers eliminated jobs;
3. an additional 50% will cut jobs in the balance of 2019 (the study was made in August).
Anecdotally, everyone’s favorite Mom & Pop restaurant is closing or curtailing their business in some negative way — the outcomes prophesied have become reality.
These are establishments that have survived, thrived in New York City for more than a quarter of a century. Calling them “local” restaurants would not start a fight.
Did it impact everybody, Big Red Car?
Why no, dear reader, it didn’t. It didn’t impact the tony restaurants who can simply roll that cost into their expense structure and pass it along to the customers.
Places that serve $22 burgers will do fine. They have customers who will tote that price. Here is the $22 cheeseburger at the Red Hook Tavern — a hot new place that is doing fine.
So, who did this, Big Red Car?
That’s the thing, dear reader, it was done by the leftist unions to people who are likely leftists themselves.
The unions and Governor Cuomo (Fredo’s brother) don’t care. Their sentiment is simple — those who lost their jobs, had their hours curtailed, are going to lose their jobs, the Mom & Pop owner can GO TO HELL.
Nobody gives a hoot about the “bad outcome” of this “bad legislation” because the unions wanted it and Governor Cuomo (Fredo’s brother) wanted it.
And, that, dear reader, is how the leftist liberal cow ate the cabbage. Note: The above cheeseburger was made from that same cow.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a conservative Big Red Car.