Minimum wage foes put profit over people
In response to Al Smith, president/CEO Chamber of Commerce (letter online Jan. 29):
If as he says, “the $15 minimum wage will drive every size business out of California, and decrease Californians’ buying power” then the the only other option besides raising the minimum living wage to $15 is that businesses of every size need to lower their prices to meet the needs of those who are working for wages that are below the poverty level.
To make matters worse, those businesses over the years have been raising prices while ignoring the fact that there are people who are living below poverty level. Because they have continued on that path, they are the ones pricing themselves out of business, so now it is the last resort that the people are being forced to vote for the $15 minimum living wage.
Whatever happens, can Fresno County and the many charities absorb the cost of more people becoming homeless or starving trying to live below poverty level because there is no compromise and profits have become more important than people?
Lena Garcia, Clovis
This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 5:33 AM with the headline "Minimum wage foes put profit over people."