Last week, Shift reported on Seattle billionaire, Democrat financier and far-left activist Nick Hanauer’s threat to state lawmakers. Upset with Republicans in the state Senate for acting as a roadblock for the statewide $12 minimum wage bill, Hanauer told the Seattle Times that if the Legislature doesn’t pass the bill, he would go to the ballot with “a statewide $16-an-hour minimum-wage initiative in 2016.” The initiative, which he calls “$16 in ‘16” is something Hanauer say he is “dead serious” about doing.
Hanuaer is—to put to it in perspective—blackmailing state legislators.
Of course, in all likelihood, Hanuaer will move forward with his “$16 in ‘16” plans whether or not the Legislature passes the $12 minimum wage bill. He has already taken steps to follow through with his threat. As Shift pointed out, Hanauer has already assembled a team of far-left activists. His team includes an assortment of the usual suspects (union executives and writers from The Stranger).
Hanauer’s blackmailing campaign did not end with his initial threat last week. The far-left, narcissistic billionaire attempted to, once again, use intimidation tactics to get his way this week. Hanauer told King 5 News that “no is not an option” for state lawmakers. He said, “They can kill the bill and (think) the issue will go away. My view of that is that it’s just a fantasy.”
Hanauer—seemingly relishing in some sort of game—went on to make light of the prospect of burdening businesses across the state with a $16 minimum wage. He said, “$16 in 16′ is a bumper sticker, is a slogan, a way of capturing our view.”
Hanauer blackmailing state lawmakers is, simply put, outrageous and inappropriate. As a reminder, this is what Hanauer said:
“They think $12 is high? Here’s the real choice: they can accept $12 now or it’ll be much, much higher. If you’re the Association of Washington Business, you should run, not walk, to Olympia and demand they pass that $12 wage bill.”
Hanuaer making light of a implementing a statewide $16 minimum wage is expected. After all, this is the man who once attempted to position himself as a market dictator at the expense of the middle class. He consistently demonstrates complete ignorance of working families’ daily lives, admitting his contempt for small business owners running local franchises.
Hanuaer demanding the implementation of a $16 minimum wage immediately is, on the other hand, ideologically consistent at the very least. Here’s what talk radio’s David Boze had to say on the subject:
“I have to say, if you follow through the logic of most of these kinds of debates, Hanauer has a point. After all, most of the time the logic used to increase minimum wage is simply that increasing the wages would allow people to buy more, it wouldn’t hurt anybody, it would improve the lives of families, it would enable people to pay their bills and buy more products. It would probably lead to even more job creation because the person who is making $12 an hour is more likely to be able to afford coffee or whatever else that they couldn’t afford before. So why bother waiting?
“The argument, boiled down, is some people need to plan. If people were being exploited before and the profits are so big, than surely those profits are built-in somehow. So there’s no reason why anyone should oppose that increase in wage.
“Well, you and I both know that’s not true. People plan well in advance for the amount of capital they need to be able to pay people, what the price of the products are going to be, and, not to mention, the fact that if you raise it to $16 an hour, that means your payroll taxes and the benefit packages will be dramatically higher.
“When you think about the way the argument is made – that $12 an hour needs to be passed so people are able to live better – if it’s just that, if that’s the truth, and there’s no negative economic impact to increasing the wage to $12 an hour, why wouldn’t you go to $16 an hour in 2016?
“If there really isn’t this potential for bad consequences for people of low skill who will be shut out of a job at a rate of $0 an hour – if that’s not your problem, then explain why it is that you have to wait so long?”
Hanauer, from his skyscraper in Seattle, is attempting to dictate state law by blackmail. Fortunately, Republicans in the state Senate will not comply with his demands. In turn, as an ideologically consistent extortionist, we can only assume Hanauer will follow through on his threat. You can expect those “16 by ‘16” bumper stickers to start popping up.
Hanauer blackmailing state lawmakers is, simply put, outrageous and inappropriate.
You guys must really have hated Tim Eyman, who used <a href="http://horsesass.org/the-dunmire-initiative-process"millions of Michael Dunmire’s dollars to put Initiatives on our ballots. Eyman described his purpose frankly:
“Even so, look on the bright side: Just the threat of I-1325 and its signature drive was incredibly effective at deterring the Legislature from raising taxes this year,” he wrote.
Anyone who didn’t complain about Eyman’s behavior then has no standing to complain about Hanauer’s behavior now.
Everybody has a right to complain, this is America!
Everybody has a right to complain, this is America!
Yes, you like to complain about we liberals in Puget Sound, who send plenty of our tax dollars to Eastern Washington. You still take our money, though.
I didn’t say anyone lacked the right to complain; I said that anyone who didn’t complain about Eyman back then wouldn’t be taken seriously about Hanauer now.
Bla bla bla, just another tug job.
Since everybody gets paid minimum wage, $15 or $16/hour isn’t near enough for me. I need at least $25/hour. Who does Hanauer think he is, punking me into working for poverty wages. $25 NOW!
…$15 or $16/hour isn’t near enough for me.
Don’t worry — there are about a thousand comments, in the other thread here, telling us how the $15-$16 minimum wage will cause such widespread economic problems, including higher unemployment amongst low-wage workers, that you few guys who actually have good jobs can lord it over mere minimum-wage employees.
All of those commenters couldn’t possibly be completely, totally, and utterly wrong, now could they?
Wait a minute, there are people that don’t work for minimum wage? How can that be? I thought everybody was enslaved by evil corporations. You know, those totally evil, greedy multinational franchise owners that employ a couple dozen people. Maybe you can put your research machine in overdrive and come up with a percentage of the workforce that works for the minimum and what percentage of those are supporting a family. You won’t, because the real numbers won’t support your position.
Wait a minute, there are people that don’t work for minimum wage?
I’m one of them. Even when I was a teenager, making sandwiches at the local deli, I was paid above the minimum wage in that time and place. Can you quote any supporter of raising the minimum wage who ever claimed that most or all jobs are minimum wage?
Maybe you can put your research machine in overdrive and come up with a percentage of the workforce that works for the minimum and what percentage of those are supporting a family.
It’s not a large percentage of the workforce. That’s one of the things the Washington Policy Center got wrong in their analysis of Seatac’s Proposition 1:
It is estimated more than 6,000 workers would earn the new wage.
Asked why predictions of economic woe for Seatac just didn’t come true, the Washington Policy Center simply abandoned those claims:
Those who opposed the $15 wage in SeaTac and Seattle admit there has been no calamity so far. Paul Guppy, vice president for research at the free-market Washington Policy Center, said SeaTac is a “boutique” case because of its size. Airport workers have been left out for now because of a lawsuit, and union workplaces are exempt, so only about 1,600 got raises.
Maybe no one at the Washington Policy Center can count that high?
You won’t, because the real numbers won’t support your position.
Uh, when did I ever say anything about the number of minimum-wage workers who support families?
Perhaps you worked for a business that pays according to what the market wage is. I pay me cooks well more than the servers and dishwashers are paid because that’s what you call “the market” for that position. The servers are only paid the highest minimum wage in the free world with no “tip offset” because cumulative total of their hourly minimum wage and gratuities classifies their income as “white collar”
“Uh, when did I ever say anything about the number of minimum-wage workers who support families?”
When you talk about “poverty wages” and “a living wage” it implies this is a big problem for people that are supporting families. It sounds a lot better than admitting that minimum wage jobs are 3% of the workforce and the majority of them are for people new to the workforce or people otherwise employed for extra money. Why does a teenager on his/her first job need a 40% raise? To get them out of “poverty”?
When you talk about “poverty wages” and “a living wage” it implies this is a big problem for people that are supporting families.
Those terms neither state nor imply the minimum-wage worker is supporting a family.
It sounds a lot better than admitting that minimum wage jobs are 3% of the workforce…
The only persons who should be “admitting” that fact are the folks who keep making failed predictions of economic disaster from raising the minimum wage. Perhaps those ill effects never happen because “minimum wage jobs are [only] 3% of the workforce”?
Why does a teenager on his/her first job need a 40% raise?
To teach him or her the value of labor? So we teach new workers how American employers don’t discriminate based on age?
To get them out of “poverty”?
Much of the money I earned as a teenager went for my engineering textbooks. Most of the rest went for food and shelter; I was definitely far below the poverty line in those days — even though I always earned above the minimum wage.
Why does a teenager on his/her first job need a 40% raise?
To teach him or her the value of labor?
Nice lesson to teach young people, Comrade: Don’t bother to better yourself to earn more, Uncle Sugar will just mandate you a huge raise and remember to vote (D)!
Don’t bother to better yourself to earn more,
How, exactly, does a person who is underpaid solely because of his age have an incentive to “better” himself? He can see perfectly well he’s getting paid less because — and only because — he’s not yet twenty. (Is he supposed to age himself prematurely, somehow?)
Also, “welcome to the workforce; we’ll pay you less, no matter how hard you work, no matter how much value you produce, purely because we can discriminate against you,” seems like a lesson rather unlikely to produce a strong work ethic, wouldn’t you say?
… remember to vote (D)!
Yes, the resentment against blatant wage discrimination may well drive the young voter to the only party with a decades-long history of fighting workplace inequality. A lower minimum wage for teens may well produce an entire generation of workers voting solidly and consistently for the Democrats.
“welcome to the workforce; we’ll pay you less, no matter how hard you work, no matter how much value you produce, purely because we can discriminate against you,”
Yet you weren’t discriminated against when you were under 20 (a new magic number) Like you, I never had a minimum wage job either. When I was 16 I earned an over min. wage for pumping gas and earned commission on all my sales of oil, wiper blades, tire repairs, etc. The harder I worked, the more I made. I produced value and was well compensated for it. I know teenage relatives and their friends have similar opportunities today. Exactly who do you think is doing the discriminating? Is there some specific industry you’re targeting or are you just throwing out “discrimination” and “poverty wages” as emotional pleas far from reality?
Exactly who do you think is doing the discriminating? Is there some specific industry you’re targeting or are you just throwing out “discrimination” and “poverty wages” as emotional pleas far from reality?
The attempt to chisel wages from all teenaged workers, via blatant age discrimination, was covered by this recent blog post:
SB 5422 would allow businesses to pay anyone under the age of 20 the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25, as opposed to the minimum wage in Washington State of $9.47.
There were a number of cynical excuses given for this attempt at legalizing blatant discrimination, all in the guise of “helping” the very workers the law was intended to victimize. However, even the blog post admitted the employers had the money to pay the full minimum wage:
Business owners are choosing to hire more experienced workers.
As your own story shows, even a first-time worker can deliver value; there’s no need to pretend that unskilled positions require their workers to take years to develop skills. (My own first-job story was very similar to yours, but I soon discovered that most customers preferred a clean windshield to re-fill of automotive products, and since a squeegee and bucket of water were cheap, I made quite a bit more on tips from cleaning windows than I made from selling products.)
Only he and the rich right wing know “the real numbers”. Note he is unable to cite them.
Bliff is correct $15 or 16/hr is not enough to survive. I spelled it out to you twice about expenses in WA. If your Big Daddy really cares about getting people out of poverty, including the homeless in Seattle, they would raise the minimum wage to $50,000 per year. Now that is true socialism all will make the same amount of money no matter the type of work you do. If that happens I will move there in a heart beat and work as a janitor with a smile making $50,000 per year.
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The minimum wage increase was just symbolic to pacify Seattle–they give a little and they won your heart so you can vote again. I can’t believe you can’t see that.
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tensor, are you going to pick me up? I am serious. Will you please pick me up? You would pass $150, wow I can’t believe it. You must be wealthy liberal 1%er.
HANAUER IS ANOTHER BILLIONAIRE LIBERAL HACK LIKE SOROS, GATES, AND STEYER – ALL SERVANTS OF SATAN!
Those devils! They even stole your Caps Lock key!
Thanks, Obama.
If you are a liberal, you should respect your liberal president. Never call him by his last name, either you call him Honorable Obama, Mr. Obama, or President Obama or don’t mention his name at all. You should know that, especially if you are a true liberal. Yes, you can call all non liberals by their last name or first name, it is not disrespect, but freedom of speech.
Obama?
Liberal?
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAAA!!!
nope
If not liberal, than what?
I never heard of progressive republican. Did you make it up? Or is it a new group? This is why this country is about to become chaos the more labeling we have the higher the division it is. Well, it is working so far, that is what DEM and REP wanted anyway, a divided nation running like a chicken with its head cut off.
Any objective observation shows Obama to be, at best, center-right. The man you insult with your moniker was more liberal.
You are out of your mind to believe that he is center-right. My moniker is not here to insult anyone. Tell me, what in the world is a Progressice Republican? You haven’t answered that one yet. Sounds like something center-left to me.
If by ‘out of my mind’ you mean my pointing out your extreme intellectual dishonesty, then you may be right.
Shortly after the election, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson agreed to include homeowner relief in his upcoming request for a second tranche of TARP funding on the condition that the President-elect asked him to. Obama rejected the request, saying “we have only one president at a time.”
Then Obama urged da shrub to provide TARP loans to GM and Chrysler to keep them in business. So it was OK to help auto companies prior to Inauguration Day, just not homeowners.
No liberal would be guilty of that.
Then there’s his more recent pro-oligarch TPP stance. No liberal would be guilty of that either.
Your moniker may not be here to insult anyone, but your extreme conservative viewpoint insults the liberal Founder to whom it rightly belongs.
First of all, I will say it again, “You are out of your mind”. I am not pointing out “extreme intellectual dishonesty”, but the facts. If you can’t take it than live the leftist life where Big Daddy runs your life.
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“Your moniker may not be here to insult anyone, but your extreme conservative viewpoint insults the liberal Founder to whom it rightly belongs.”
First of all that is my birth name, so your argument is moot. Next, The Founder, Benjamin Franklin was not a liberal, he did not believe in giving entitlements to all, make people depend on the government, make people sell their freedom for safety, making a behemoth of government to control every aspect of people’s lives, socializing everything, educate students to become world citizens and eventual brain wash a generation to agree to one world government.
I am not REP, Conservative, extreme conservative, or any other labels that people put on themselves. I don’t follow a shephard and believe everything that he/she say. I am the 10% that you and the rest of the 89 percenters redicule because we don’t believe neither the left or right wing and our ideology doesn’t conform with the 89 percenters. You, need to wake up to reality. This country is taking a turn to the wrong direction, and I don’t care if you personally think that it is not true.
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Our country should not be ran by either liberal or conservative becuase they have been the strongest of all other political parties for over 150 years, therefore they are corrupted and getting paid by the 1% wealthy.
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Liberals keep claiming that the conservatives are the one who gets paid by the wealthy, and the morons followers believe it, when in actuality what they are doing distracting and showing you a shiny sphere with their left hand and getting paid by the wealthy as well right under your noses.
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Last, you are not an American that seek to unite the people as one, but you chose to label yourself liberal, or Progressive Republican which is another break away of the liberals or conservatives. Why are you the the rest of the 89% are dividing this country into so many groups? You and the rest of the 89% cannot fathom what will happen next, chaos. Whomever is the president of the USA during that time chaos will suspend the US Constitution, that includes the freedoom of speech to call cops pigs, throw bottles at them, and flip them off. You will be beaten to the pulp, because your freedom of speech was suspended in the name of MARSHAL LAW, I mean State of Emergency. Good luck with a revised and less freedom constitution once they void the US Constitution. You will be in a police state like the European States. Did you know there is not such a thing as police brutality in Europe, the police can beat that spirits out of you just by flipping them off or call them volgur names.
The disingenuity of your rant is impressive.
For example, your claim of, ” I am not pointing out “extreme intellectual dishonesty”, but the facts.”
Nowhere did I imply nor give you cause to infer that you were pointing out extreme intellectual dishonesty. I implied that you are practicing it.
Huge difference, and your rant merely proves my point.
And if that really is your birth name, all I could do would be to visit his grave and say, “Sorry Ben. Not every namesake can live up to your standards.”
You are a twisted person that no matter what it is said you will twist it around and make a full out of yourself.
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You are correct that you practice extreme intellectual dishonesty by calling the Founder a liberal. You are a disrespectful and dishonest person that needs to read true history and not making it up as you go.
Ooh. More lies, disingenuity and deflection. I’d have to be as big a liar as you to say that I’m surprised.
I’m neither.
You’ve gotten far more respect from me than you’ll ever be capable of earning, liar.
You just want to hear what you believe in and that is all. Keep on dividing this nation with your stupid label, you don’t realize that you are a legal modern day slave of Big Daddy that you allowed to manifest.
Get back in line and follow your shephard to your demise.
Ooh. More lies, disingenuity and deflection. I’d have to be as big a liar as you to say that I’m surprised.
Again.
I’m neither.
You’ve gotten far more respect from me than you’ll ever be capable of earning, liar.
Honestly, I don’t want you to believe what I said, but when the poop hits the fan and takes you by surprise, remember the information that I gave you and hit your thick head on a brick wall until it cracks open and look what you have inside that head of yours, poop for brain! Don’t worry just take my words as you wish. You and the rest of the 89% are in for a rude awakening. Cheers.
Oh, don’t worry. I’m nowhere near stupid enough to believe your bull.
But then I realize that this is all coming from one whose tissues are so thoroughly fused that even surgery couldn’t possibly separate your shoulders from that backs of your thighs without significant risk to your life.
Not that that would actually be much of a loss or anything given the extreme waste of skin you’ve gone so far out of your way to prove yourself to be.
You are a moron that spews nonsense. Follow your shephard to your demise.
” I’m nowhere near stupid enough to believe your bull.”
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It bull to you because you are brainwashed by the 150 years old 2 system political parties. You are part of the 89% comformist that keep voting the same corrupted politicians and hope to get different results. I spoke to other about this and they don’t know what to answer, but rant flatulance and stink up the place.
89%ers Americans = Brainwashed comformists idiots that constantly run around the hamster wheel believing to reach a different destination.
89%ers Americans = Brainwashed comformists idiots that constantly cook fish and spice it to taste like beef stew, but the outcome still the same–smells and taste like fish.
“I spoke to others about this and they don’t know what to answer, but rant flatulance and stink up the place.”
Interesting that the others of you acquaintance “rant flatulance (sic) and stink up the place.”
Quite the posse ya got there. Says quite a bit about you.
But then you’ve shown time and again that you’re stupid enough to think I vote for either major party the way you do.
You’ve also gone impressively out of your way to show that not only are you an idiot or liar or both, but that you’re also a monstrous waste of my time and an even bigger waste of skin; not to mention resources.
Your best purpose in life is to have your picture on a sign that says, “Don’t let this happen to you. Practice planned parenthood.”
Being a waste of my time, I’m done with you. Go hook up with your bro’s, “rant flatulance (sic) and stink up the place.”
It’s what you do.
Toodles.
I see you got offended and now you resulted in name calling. This is telling everybody that if you don’t get your way you will result in tantrums and name calling like an infant in a store that could not get what he wanted.
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You have unmasked who you are and trying to assume that I vote for the major parties like you really do, well you have that wrong.
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Okay, big babby keep sucking on that fat cow udders. .
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Good Riddens
If this rag had any credibility before, they don’t now.
As was commented before…when wages go up something else has to give and things you provide your employees now will drop off…health insurance, 401K, pizza Friday, free parking, Costco memberships, no charge uniforms….these are perks used to keep your people happy. Most will tell you that wages are not the only reason people work for a business but perks and attitudes are equally important to the overall “package”.
As was commented before…when wages go up something else has to give…
Unless productivity goes up as well, in which case profits will rise and there will be more money available.
You people really need to learn the most basic economics before you comment here.
Just because someone’s wage increases, their productivity mentality does not. Those that have high productivity will be kept, low producers will be let go and prices will increase to make up the difference in lower sales and higher wages. Individuals that are currently making $16 an hour will in essence receive a pay cut To minimum wage. They say a rising tide is good, but if you continually pour water in the boats that are already floating will eventually sink. Soon you have less boats.
Got any figures to support that simplistic logic? Didn’t think so.
Hi Hamster Brain, how’s the liberal madness going? I see you are screwing with everybody again. Hope all is well with you and the cats.
Well, I think that having the highest minimum wage in the country is enough. What I find funny is that I retired from a six figure income and I had the skills and motivation to be a top performer in that company. That said, I went to work for minimum wage and worked with a 29 year old kid making over $1 more than I did. I just wanted something to do. I had skills. I had education. I did not have an attitude! (bad) I worked hard for the total time I was paid every day. I was not arrogant. I treated the customers like gold, as they should be. I left because I could not stand the “minimum wage mentality. Not showing up on time, extending coffee and lunch breaks and focusing on how fast I could get out of the door at the end, indifference to customers and sloppy work, taking phone calls from friends, watching hulu on the company computer and playing games when they should be cleaning or looking for ways to serve the customer better, improving their education so they could serve the customer better. IMHO, Mr. Hanauer is an arrogant, punk, bully that wants to purchase the state of Washington so that he can enhance his liberal ways at the expense of the small businesses and the people of the state. I wonder if he has any “minimum wage” employees? DNelson, you are so right!
Love the term “You people” it just shows how out of touch you are. If you think you can overcome that large of a wage increase with productivity alone you are clueless.
So, what are the productivity figures?
Hannour needs to pay the minimum wage out of his $billions.
Put his money where his mouth is.
Funny clowns like this always want to spend other peoples money, that is usually how they got rich in the first place.
This is the same bastard that bought I-594 and violated our civil rights with his self loathing.
Seems those afraid of guns have a good reason, usually because if people find out what they really are about they will face a Rope or Firing squad.
This minimum rate increase has already shut down several restaurants in Seattle, good job seattle city council.
Too bad libtards are incapable of long term thinking. So more people out of work due to a badly crafted law.
I think he should spend literally billions of dollars on this campaign so that once it is over he will have a bright future. Every respectable financial publication out there thinks Hanauer is an idiot, so please , Tom, spend every friggin dollar you have on this issue. If you do, I promise I will have a dishwashing position just for you!
It should not take “literally billions of dollars” to file and pass an Initiative to increase our minimum wage; such legislation is very popular here. I-688 passed by a 2-1 majority in 1998, with little money expended either in favor of passage, or against.
Every respectable financial publication out there thinks Hanauer is an idiot,
This is hopeless, of course, but I just have to ask: which “respectable financial publication[s]” have published a story about Hanauer’s supposed idiocy? (Names, dates, and story titles, please, with relevant quotes.)
Not surprising that you would show up here. My hopes are that this liberal potato head use his billions to soak the people of Washington into increasing their cost of living with his ridiculous initiative. I am aware that it won’t cost billions, but let’s at least hope it puts a dent in his net worth. As to the financial publications that consider his an idiot, please feel free to Google him. I am quite sure you have time on your hands to do your own research as I work for a living and don’t need to waste time coddling you
I am aware that it won’t cost billions, but let’s at least hope it puts a dent in his net worth.
The cost of a major Initiative campaign might reach all the way to $10-20 million. Hanauer is worth billions. You opponents of the minimum wage are never more amusing than when you demonstrate how you just don’t understand money.
… increasing their cost of living with his ridiculous initiative.
You seem confused. We raise the minimum wage to follow increases in the cost of living; there’s no evidence raising of minimum wages here in Washington state has ever caused an increase in the cost of living:
When Washington residents voted in 1998 to raise the state’s minimum wage and link it to the cost of living, opponents warned the measure would be a job-killer. The prediction hasn’t been borne out.
In the 15 years that followed, the state’s minimum wage climbed to $9.32 — the highest in the country. Meanwhile job growth continued at an average 0.8 percent annual pace, 0.3 percentage point above the national rate. Payrolls at Washington’s restaurants and bars, portrayed as particularly vulnerable to higher wage costs, expanded by 21 percent. Poverty has trailed the U.S. level for at least seven years.
So, lacking evidence to support your economic claims, you resort to name-calling, but you fare no better:
As to the financial publications that consider his an idiot, please feel free to Google him.
As I’d predicted, it was hopeless. You never delivered the “other examples” you once freely offered to provide, so there was no hope of you providing support for this accusation, either. Do your own damned grunt-work, instead of lazily assuming you can fob it off on people who dare to question your groundless assertions.
I am quite sure you have time on your hands to do your own research as I work for a living and don’t need to waste time coddling you
You do, however, have time to come here and call another adult silly names, and to express your ignorant view of how finances work.
Kinda done with this futile argument, but did want to bring up the the Puget Sound Business Journal did a poll asking if the $15 minimum wage would be a disincentive for businesses in Seattle and would it prevent you from shopping or visiting Seattle. 70% voted that it would be a disincentive to visit or shop in Seattle. Feel free to post another argument, but only time will tell whether it is a mistake.
Btw, the same publication had a poll asking if unions help or hurt Washington. Over 60% say that because of political influence, unions have a bad effect on Washington. I like unions, so go figure!
70% voted that it would be a disincentive to visit or shop in Seattle.
Well, those particular respondents are free to stay away. With construction cranes across our skyline, with tens of thousands of new jobs created over the past several years, with 2015 on pace to be a record year for new apartment construction, it’s obvious that Seattle has plenty of businesses willing to invest here.
Plus, if the statewide minimum wage goes to $16/hour next year, wouldn’t that remove any such disincentive from Seattle?
Rats. I was kinda hoping that he’d back up his claim of, “Every respectable financial publication out there thinks Hanauer is an idiot…” too.
Not expecting it, just hoping.
Not surprised either.
Oh well…
$26 IN 16!!! $26 IN 16!!! $26 IN 16!!!
I agree that rich billionaires republican or democrat should pay up.