Minimum Wage

Last week in the blogosphere, the young Liberal apologist Cherniak created quite an uproar with his opposition to raising the Ontario minimum wage to $10 per hour. He argued that the current wage provides a living and that any increase would have dire ecomonic consequences because employers would then lay people off and there would be less disposable income in play etc.

After taking several blog shots he responded with a bit from an article by Benzies in the Star writing about the minimum wage. He quotes from an 18 year old sharing an apartment with a boyfriend who makes $8 an hour for a 44 hour week who claims that after essentials she has $250 a month left over which Cherniak thinks is wonderful. As a lawyer, should he have presented this argument in court he might have been held in contempt.

I don't know if it is the arrogance of youth or the lack of real world experience but whatever it may be, it is a sad sad commentary on both his understanding of the world around him and his lack of compassion. He was willing to beg for money on his blog but he likely steps over the homeless on the street.

Liberals are very good about talking in generalities about such things as poverty but when it comes to living breathing people they haven't a clue and don't really give a damn. Otherwise how could we have 1 million children living in poverty in a country this rich with this much promise. There is a huge underbelly of people, particularly in the GTA that most of us never really see. Cherniak and his ilk should read the only decent piece that bonehead Jan Wong ever wrote when she lived as a maid for a month.

The NDP to their credit have much more of a hands on understanding of the working poor and non-working poor. Unfortunately they are generally a bunch of hypocritical horses' asses.

The essential question is what quality of life do people deserve. Is it fair that so many drag themselves home exhausted and then care for their families often going without sufficient food for themselves in order for their children to eat. Does everyone need a TV or an I-Pod or a car or shelter or adequate clothing or is that only for the Liberals.

There are so many people who cannot obtain a job and certainly not a job above the minimum wage because of lack of education, mental problems, generational welfare, language difficulties, cultural or colour barriers, drugs or alcohol, lack of desire, lack of oppourtunity, and a myriad of other reasons.

What do we do with these people? There are lots of temporary warehouse work, flyer delivery, grass cutting, cleaners, labourers, and so on but is this enough to provide a quality of life?
I'm sure Cherniak and his friends have all the answers for these people and it won't inconveniece him and his friends at all.