Advocates of the “living wage” tout the policy as a way to make life “fair” for those in entry-level jobs. But writing in Durham’s Herald-Sun, Michael Sanera discussed the negative ramifications of the county’s living wage law, which requires private contractors doing work with Durham County to pay workers at least $10 per hour or lose the contract. Sanera ended the column by relating the deliciously ironic story out of California, where the group ACORN, which advocates for living wage laws, was sued for—you guessed it—paying its employees less than the federal minimum wage. The group argued that if forced to do so, it would have to lay off workers and, therefore, its minimum-wage campaign would be hurt. Sanera’s piece didn’t sit well with Durham resident Lloyd Schmeidler, who responded with a column in which he claimed the economy only works for those with money. A final note: Wednesday’s Raleigh News & Observer reported that the North Carolina Justice Center has retracted its 2003 claim that 60 percent of our state’s families with kids live below what it calls a “living income standard.” The Justice Center now says the number is 41 percent. John Hood has refuted the 60 percent figure since its release, and he frequently argued that common sense said the number was grossly inflated.
