NJ trying to hurt more businesses or drive them away (Opinion)

Anyone who thinks through the $15 an hour minimum wage idea, can see it's a bad idea all the way around. Luckily for the New Jersey Legislature, most people in our society today just react emotionally without critically thinking through what the unintended consequences will be. Or that it flies in the face of the U.S. free-market economy that has worked for hundreds of years. The second phase of the law passed last year went into affect this week. You can see how it will play out in this handy chart provided by our overlords, The State of New Jersey.

The minimum wage as of this week is $11 and hour. So if you were already making $11 an hour, a new employee with no experience or time on the job will make the same as you. This leaves the employer with a choice, give you more money to keep a content productive employee, or let you go and get someone new at the same rate who won't be pissed off.

The unintended consequences go much further and could hurt not only the business but the customer experience and cost as well. We already have the least business friendly climate of any state in the country. This is just another reason for businesses leave here and not come to build here.

A job is worth what the market will bear. As unemployment continues to drop the rate goes up for qualified and even unqualified, but trainable candidates. It's not the state's job to make sure you have "a livable wage". It's up to YOU to make the best of the opportunities that are abundant in this country. If you need a lesson on how it's down, quit relying on useless college degrees and follow a legal immigrant or first generation American around for six months. They'll show you how it's done!

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