HARRISBURG – A Valley state representative says although raising the minimum wage may seem like a good idea for many, it could actually do more harm than good.
First off, Fred Keller (R-85th, Kreamer) says raising the minimum wage only affects a small group, “Does it affect most of the people, or should we be focusing on things that would affect greater numbers of Pennsylvanians. I think the idea is that if you bring the wage up, they have more purchasing power. But, by raising that wage, you are also raising the amount that an employer has to pay for social security, unemployment compensation insurance and workers compensation insurance.”
Keller says, instead, they could focus on something else, “I am not trying to discount the people that are making minimum wage. But, if we are looking at good policy items that we can impact the maximum amount of lives of Pennsylvanians, I think we should be starting with pension reform, property tax and those items that will have a greater affect in helping people stretch their dollars that they earn much farther.”
Keller suggested creating an environment where there are more jobs competing for that labor and raise the wages, “The people who are working the factories around here now whether it’s Ritz-Craft, Excel or Wood-Mode, those people certainly are not making minimum wage, but they might be making $12, $13 or $14 an hour. They are not going to see that kind of increase, so you’ve just diminished their buying power. There are a lot of things to consider.”
Bottom-line, he says our focus should be on pensions and property taxes, not minimum wage which only affects a small percentage of the population. Fred Keller’s interview will be aired on WKOK Sunrise 6am Monday morning talking about minimum wage and a number of other topics. You can listen to the entire interview on WKOK Sunrise Monday and it will be posted online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)