WW4: Argument

In Joe Hargrave’s article, The US minimum wage debate is bogus; his ultimate question is “is it wrong for the government to decide what employers out to pay?” Hargrave does not really answer his own question, but moves around it with multiple examples. He writes that minimum wage has garnered a high percentage of support from both ends of the political spectrum. However, it can be noted that only 2% of the workforce in this country makes minimum wage, which could make the whole debate irrelevant.
Hargrave writes that minimum wage is in place to regulate the power of businesses over workers and of “employment and management over workers and their wages.” Basically stating that those you know more should control those who don’t know as much. However, workers are well aware that what employers want is “more work for less pay, and they will use the means at their disposal to reverse the trend.” He continues with his next bit of evidence by saying that there has been a 50-year consensus, and it has only been disrupted in the mid 90s, that minimum wage caused unemployment and contributed to a falling economy. However, in those 50 years America had a gradual increase in minimum wages and managed to grow and prosper. The reason for the disruption, Hargrave argues, is that other policies got in the way. Policies such as “totally deregulating the financial sector.”
His wrap up includes the direct position that “raising the minimum wage is a not a solution to anything.” He expresses his deepest wish to American workers is that they begin to organize themselves as “partners in cooperative enterprises.” Saying this, I believe he means that everyone should become an owner and for everyone to have more control over their economic fate.
My big issue with Hargrave’s article is that I do not feel his warrants explain his claim very well. I think he should have mentioned the impact of unions in workplace when he mentioned putting all workers as owners. How have unions benefited minimum wage. Also, in the 50 years of not changing the minimum page policies and then a most recent bump in the road, I think that what is broken should be fixed. I argue that we need to know the benefits of having any minimum wage or getting rid of it altogether.
On the other end, speaking of owners, it can be said that changing the minimum wage law can exclude low cost competitors from labor markets. Over all, could be the result of more poverty and unemployment. Also, changing minimum wage laws can reduce profit margins of business owners employing minimum wage workers, which could encourage a move to businesses that do not employ low-skill workers.