On Sun, 16 Jun 1996, Michelle Billies wrote:
> >I have been approached by a community group here in Syracuse, NY,
> >considering launching a campaign for a living wage requirement for
> >firms that do business with the city. I believe there such a legal
> >requirement in Baltimore and I am told that Buffalo is conducting
> >a similar campaign.
> >
> >They asked me about determining the economic effects of such a plan.
> >Does anyone out there in Pen-Land have any knowledge, experience, or
> >expertise with something like this? Does anyone know what the
> >experience of cities that have done this has been?
> >
> >Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
> >
> >
> >David Andrews
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> You can also try the New Party which has living wage campaigns in 10
> cities. Try Adam Glickman at 212-302-5053.
>
> Also, I am an activist in New York City collecting information on community
> groups protesting welfare reform, working on "alternatives to welfare" or
> doing anti-poverty work more generally. Which group in Syracuse is
> launching this campaign? Have you located the groups in Buffalo and
> Baltimore?
>
> Thanks -
>
> Michelle Billies
> **New address:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
I just testified before the Chicago City Council on this and
would be glad to send my testimony (I can only do this hard copy because
of my primitive system here) to those interested.
My basic argument was that that Living wage Ordinances are
excellent local economic development initiatives as they: a) transfer
resources to at least some of those who need them most, b) are easy and
cheap to monitor and implement unlike traditional grants, tax
abatements, TIF zones , etc - which in Chicago are hardly monitored at
all as it turns out anyway, c) ** the most important point as
anti-living wage arguments stress all the jobs that will be lost**THEY
CREATE JOBS as most ordinances have exclusions for small businesses
non-profits and others doing business with the city who would be most
cost impacted so COST SIDE job growth reduction can be greatly diminished
through flexible funding of the Ordinance by local authorities (for a
very small cost compared to other tax-abatements etc.) On the other hand
DEMAND SIDE multiplier effects are increased because of the high level of
LOCAL CONSUMPTION by low-wage workers (again unlike traditional programs
which give most of their benfits to developers etc. who probably don't
even live in the locality). Since most local minimum-wage studies
indicate a wash in terms of job creation (se excellent EPI briefing paper
by John Schmitt and also the statement by 101 economists on the minimum
wage not causing unemployment) - this implies Living wage should create
jobs.
I had to really go after some U of Chicago consultants on this stuff!
Also - the ordinance has passed in Milwaukee and Santa Clara County (CA) to my
knowledge). I hadn't
I hadn't heard about Syracuse or Buffalo.
In Solidarity,
Ron Baiman
Dept. Of Econ.
Roosevelt Univ.
430 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
