Media requestWalter Block will be debating minimum wage policy with Jared Bernstein live on "Work With Marty Nemko," KALW-FM, 91.7 (NPR), Sunday 13 August 2006, at 11:00 AM (Pacific Time). Marty Nemko (www.martynemko.com) is the producer and host of this weekly radio program.
Dr. Block (www.walterblock.com) is Professor of Economics at Loyola University in New Orleans and author.
Dr. Bernstein (www.epi.org/author_details.cfm?author_id=115) is a Senior Economist at the Economic Policy Institute and author.
Interesting how this once forbidden topic is now on everyone's radar screen.
Just this evening, I heard a strong argument against minimum wage laws on
KQED radio's "Marketplace" business news program. NPR is finally paying
attention to the real consequences of minimum wage laws. Check out the
commentary by Glen Hubbard, former head of George W. Bush's Council of
Economic Advisors.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/08/02/PM200608025.html
Could this be another sign of long-held Libertarian positions, once thought
to be ridiculously inpractical, finally being taken seriously by the people
in power?
Terry Floyd
TEXT OF COMMENTARY
KAI RYSSDAL: The Senate's debating a bill that would raise the federal
minimum wage. It's been stuck at $5.15 an hour for a decade. Lawmakers would
boost it to $7.25 over the next three years. Seventeen states have their own
minimums. And Chicago just passed a what's called a living wage law. Big-box
stores will have to pay workers at least $10 an hour with some benefits by
2010. Other cities have similar plans. But for economist and commentator
Glenn Hubbard, it's more complicated that just raising pay.