Dear All;
A very nice article speaking against living wage laws
and why they hurt the people they try to help. In the
same vein this is why minimum wage laws need to
be repealed along with prevailing wage laws.
Because of minimum wage laws the teenage
unemployment rate is 30%.
Ron Getty - SF Libertarian
Hostis res Publica
Morte ai Tiranni
Dum Spiro, Pugno
The article explains how an "island" would be more productive if the government just let everybody work for whatever they could get. Another argument against "living wage" is also appropriate for today.
Today happens to be the last day to file a tax return if you got an extension in April.
The government supposedly believes a person cannot live on less than the "living wage", but they start taxing him on far less than that amount. Before ordering employers to find more money for salaries, the government could at least stop taking that money away from the employees.
Harland Harrison
LP of San Mateo County CA
Harland, you just helped us with a conundrum from our last meeting -- finding something Libertarian to put forth as a measure that SF voters could support.
Repealing all city taxes and license fees on anyone making less than the city's "living wage".
Yeah, it's another redistribution of wealth from rich to poor, but the benefit to Libertarians would be to call out the City for its hypocrisy, something I think the rich would be happy to do even if it means a little more of their wealth is redistributed. 
BTW, the definition of "rich" in SF is those of us who can afford to live in unsubsidized housing. :-\
Rob
Dear Rob;
Based on the City minimum wage law for 2010 it's $9.79 an hour or
$19,580 a year as the City "living wage" and/or exempt all businesses
employing less than 5 employees from all licenses fees and permit fees.
City payroll taxes don't cut in until there is something like 10 or
more employees. And/or exempt all people who qualify for the micro-loan
programs which go from $500 - $35,000
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/12/MNVV1A308G.DTL
Ron Getty
Hostis Res Publica
Morte Ai Tiranni
Dum Spiro, Pugno