Good intentions with bad consequences
The May 27 political cartoon in The Bee by Lisa Benson on the regulatory and benefits burden stimulated this commentary. Politicians, with their superior wisdom, have again enacted legislation whose stated purpose is divorced from economic reality.
Instead of raising their constituents out of poverty (their good intentions), they guarantee a lifetime of poverty, especially for minorities.
Participation in the workforce is a necessity to escape remaining poor. The climb out of poverty has aptly been likened to a ladder. To to make a higher wage, one needs to find a better job to climb to a higher rung.
Our political elitists have decided that American businesses can afford to lose money on unqualified or unmotivated employees. This action is wholly consistent with their devotion to their corporate and union benefactors. Unlike small business, large corporations can withstand losses from uneconomic hires, and union wages rise with the minimum wage.
Even a cursory look at the black community demonstrates the negative effects of cutting off the lower rungs of the economic ladder and placing them out of reach, thus condemning a significant portion to a lifetime of poverty.
Donna M. Andrews, Madera
This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Good intentions with bad consequences."