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Hawley: Public sector minimum wage increase puts $20 million burden on NY taxpayers

By Billie Owens

Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia):

“Gov. Cuomo’s decision to increase the state employee minimum wage to $15 per hour is misguided and wrong for New York. The minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage and by raising it over 50 percent we are essentially killing the motivation of state employees to work hard, take advantage of their opportunities and find better paying employment.

"In a state where our budget is already stretched thin and we have trouble providing funding for deteriorating upstate infrastructure and paying down the Gap Elimination Adjustment education cuts, we simply can’t afford this added expenditure. Our residents already pay the highest taxes in the nation and asking them to absorb more of a burden is wrong.

“It is autocratic and disconcerting to the democratic process for Gov. Cuomo to sidestep the Legislature and unilaterally pass this minimum wage increase. Just as the case with the increase for fast-food workers, all laws should go through an appropriate legislative process that includes vetting and discussion. Any other way is irresponsible governing.

"What we need is a more fertile business environment that provides better paying opportunities for state workers, not dependence on the state for higher wages.”

George Richardson

Public sector employees spend their paychecks in the communities in which they live. I see nothing wrong with this. Is Steve Hawley a volunteer Assemblyman or is he just another leech on the taxpayers dime?

Nov 13, 2015, 5:09pm Permalink
Timothy Hens

This $20M probably only factors in the increase on wages of those currently making less than $15 per hour. There will be significant wage compression that will occur after the minimum wage increases. Those clerks, laborers, drivers and equipment operators sure aren't going to like being paid "minimum wage" for their more skilled positions. Likewise the supervisors aren't going to like being paid what drivers are paid if they get their fair share. It's going to have a much bigger impact on taxes than you can imagine.

Nov 13, 2015, 5:40pm Permalink
Tim Miller

Timothy Hens (nice name, Tim, btw) has a good point - one cannot simply raise the minimum without affecting the wages of those near the minimum. The effect will be greater than $20mm.

That boils down to, what, $1 or $1.25 per NY resident per year so that full time public employees make a wage they *might* be able to live on? A small price for doing the right thing. I only wish the teabaggers in charge of NC would do the same thing. (HA!!!)

The only issue I see with the minimum wage actions taken in NY lately have been the singling out (until the state employee order was issued) of fast food workers for the $15 minimum wage. Why should burger flippers (and other food handlers) be treated differently than toilet cleaners, grass cutters, or home health care workers?

Nov 14, 2015, 7:57pm Permalink

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