Tell me about it. I think I'm one of the few Seattlites that hates this idea.

The focus has been put on what it'll do to employment in the food service sector (e.g. this article). It might kill some jobs, it might not. Who knows. But the food service sector is only once piece of the proverbial pie (bad pun intended).

Much less focus has been drawn towards what it'll do to non-profit jobs, esp. in the social services sector. Such as DESC. For the record, the director of the DESC has been vocal in his opposition. But not vocal enough, apparently. Anyhow, it's pretty clear that without the city providing greater subsidies for non-profit organizations, $15/hr. wages for workers at said organizations will require cutbacks across the board, severely curtailing the services they can provide, and the quality of the same.

And then there are the other non-profit businesses. Like my second job at the local radio station, which doesn't pay great, but scratches so many of my creative itches in a way my higher-paying job doesn't. They can barely afford to give me hours as it stands. They're down to a skeleton production crew- they've already diverted pretty much every available resource into development staff. Pretty sure my job goes down the shitter once the $15/hr thing kicks into full effect.

Not to mention that at this point it's goddamn near impossible to find affordable family housing at even a $15/hr level in Seattle. Low income folks will still be scrambling. So where do they place their $15/hr band aid? Where does city council expect them to spend the extra money? Will sound investments be made that help raise individuals past the local poverty level? Doubtful, given that it'll be a lot harder to find sound counsel and cheap services from social welfare organizations. So what, low-wagers spend more on disposables? The local economy rises as businesses bring in more customers? What about inflation? You know, from the absurd, arbitrary minimum wage hike?

For a self-proclaimed socialist, Kshama Sawant is putting a lot of faith in free-market capitalism. If she were really serious, wouldn't she be lobbying for more taxes to bolster social services? Instead of placing the onus of equality and social welfare squarely on the shoulders of private business?

And on more of a gut level- some jobs just aren't worth $15 an hour. Why should the guy at the fry-o-lator get as much as the guy managing a group home for folks with Autism? And where will the incentive go to move from the one job to the other? Won't we end up with a glut of minimally-trained workers in low-skill, low-impact jobs, and an even greater shortage of workers in the dirty-but-desperately-necessary sector?

The whole thing kind of grosses me out. Seattle minimum wage was already one of the highest in the country, and it was already chained to inflation. This $15/hr move is more politically popular than it is sensible, and I suspect not as risk-free as they're painting it. It's being touted as the most progressive possible move, but it actually feels regressive. Trading a strong social safety net in for a wage bump. It's like taking away the fishing pole and just giving everybody a couple more fish.