Raise Minimum Wage in Bristol
by Lewis Loflin
Printed in the Bristol Herald Courier Saturday, January 18, 2014:
Re: Raising the minimum wage. I'm voicing my support of President Obama to raise the minimum wage to $10-$15 an hour.
The tens of millions of dollars are wasted on corporate welfare and crony capitalism have done nothing to raise the living standards of the working poor in this region. The same people writing multi-million checks to retail developers are the same ones that begrudge our low-wage workforce $10 in food stamps.
Bristol-Virginia-Tennessee region ranks near the bottom in nearly every social demographic in their respective states: highest child poverty rates - low-wage jobs and chronic under-employment - college degrees that are worthless forcing thousands to flee the region - jails bursting with those arrested for drugs - skyrocketing crime.
In addition working people face a hostile labor climate from business often in partnership with local governments. There's no free market here with this level of cronyism and backroom dealing. How many jobs will we create moving Belk to the Pinnacle and Lowe's to the Falls?
I'd give business a 200 percent deduction on labor costs and kill useless regulations and taxes. Those on welfare would be forced to work for living. Cutting out the government middle man and making work pay something is best for everyone.
In addition we must cut off most immigration and end this system of importing replacement workers then shifting the social costs onto taxpayers. That means enforcing the labor and immigration laws. Fat chance in this low-wage labor hostile region.
No more corporate welfare, country music museums, under-writing minimum wage hotel, tourism, and retirement industries. Let's get people off welfare and let them earn a living. Time to shut down the government money loop for the politically connected and end this system of social apartheid.
Lewis Loflin Bristol, Va.
Note as of January 18, 2014 police are searching for a man attempting to rob the pharmacy in a Food City store in Lebanon, Virginia. There's been a rash of mostly pharmacy robberies by drug addicts.
Regional Crime Watch
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