NJ just made it even harder to have a business (Opinion)

It's called the "Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act" and it continues to propagate the myth that women earn 77% of what men earn. The bill was signed into law last week.

So if there are two people at the same company, with the same credentials and experience, the woman would be paid less. If this is true, I want to start a company tomorrow and hire all women. I can pay them less than my competitors who have some or all men and I'll have a more successful company. What a great idea!

Now for the reality check. Governor Murphy signed this into law, the most sweeping equal pay legislation in the country, for votes. It's a Democrat Party ploy that has been unmasked by the facts over and over, but it still sells for people who embrace victimhood and need to point to some external reason for why they aren't as financially successful as some others. In the aggregate the numbers are higher for men than women, but it doesn't take into account all of the factors that go into wage earnings. Many factors like career choice and hours worked skew the numbers, but some people love to embrace the idea.

So along comes this law that will certainly make the Trial Lawyers Association happy. They're a big Democratic donor. Under this new law in New Jersey you can get six years back wages if it is proven that a woman was paid less than a man. The hours wasted by companies that will have to disprove many of these claims could be astronomical. Some might be better off just writing a settlement check than go through the process, just to cut their losses. Thus making the New Jersey business climate even less hospitable. Don't you worry about that. Phil Murphy just wants to make sure everyone is treated fairly, regardless of the truth or the cost, financially or ethically.

Here's another cute little tidbit about the law. It's named after former Senator Diane Allen. She launched her career in NJ politics on the heels of her gender and age discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, a Philly TV station. No one will tell you this, but I will. Diane Allen was a superstar in local TV news in Philadelphia. She was a knockout, a stunning woman. As she aged the station wanted a younger, better looking anchor at the desk. They assigned her to street reporting. She thought she earned a permanent spot at the anchor desk and she sued.

The same stunning good looks that got her the job had faded. It's an appearance business and her appearance had diminished. It's a fact of life and it sucks. It sucks even more if you never had those movie star good looks, but when they fade it must be tough. Having never been a gorgeous woman, I wouldn't know. So she started a long career in New Jersey politics and we now have a new law named after her to memorialize her plight. Wonderful!

Unless you are one of the businesses that will be in the crosshairs of the many law firms who will be lining up to take advantage of yet another piece of useless legislation designed to engender more empathic votes and make people feel good about their inadequacies and the inherent unfairness of life itself. Bravo Diane Allen (R) former state senator. Bravo, Phil Murphy (D) prince of all panderers! And bravo to you if you've already started looking for property in Delaware or North Carolina!

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