…here is his latest attempt to finish the job.
From Titus Wu’s article for the New York Post:
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that California’s statewide minimum wage will increase to $17.40 per hour beginning January 1, 2027.
The rate is higher than any current statewide minimum wage in the nation and nearly two-and-a-half times the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
The increase is already automatic under California law, which adjusts the minimum wage annually to keep pace with inflation.
Newsom, who is expected to run for president in 2028, contrasted himself against President Trump in announcing the increase.
“For years, Donald Trump and Republicans have blocked efforts to raise the federal minimum wage while handing tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” the governor said in a statement.
“California has chosen a different path — one that rewards work, grows the economy, and puts working families first. We believe if you work hard, you deserve a decent paycheck. They think $7.25 an hour is enough. We don’t.”
Scott Meyers, who is running for Congress, told The Post, “Governor Gavin Newsom pointlessly references the low federal minimum wage in an effort to display his own virtue of raising our minimum wage to $17.40.
He cleverly omits that the federal minimum wage has zero relevance in the state of California. Moreover, from Taco Bell, all the way up to Whole Foods, businesses will adjust and have customers interact increasingly with self service checkouts as they have already done. The more the minimum wage is, the less entry-level employees there will be. This helps nobody. It actually harms. Gavin knows this.”
Many California healthcare workers already saw another scheduled increase on July 1, pushing minimum wages to between $19.28 and $25 an hour depending on the type of facility.
What happens when a minimum wage is raised this much?
What happens when minimum wages jump this high this fast?
Well, one thing that happens is that prices for goods and services go up. For everyone at every level of earning.
Another thing that happens is that, among the industries relying on lower-end wage earners, a great many of these jobs will disappear – either because they will be automated out of existence or the companies in question will just do the best they can to get by with fewer people.
Simply stated, artificially bumping up wages this high denies the marketplace. So the marketplace adjusts.
A first year eonomics student probably learns this in the first two or three weeks of the semester. And Gavin Newsom certainly knows it. But when you’re running for President it looks so good on paper….
Gavin Newsom is a joke. A loser. A nothingburger with a cute grin and terrific hair.
Scarily, we may soon see if, nationally, the voters are smart enough to catch on.
