Sweeney wants a $15 minimum wage… but explains why it wouldn’t work for N.J. kids or farmers?

Steve Sweeney
Steve Sweeney

Here’s all the proof you need that these legislators — almost all of them — are completely full of crap. Totally and shamelessly.

Senate President Steve Sweeney was the world’s biggest $15 per hour minimum wage backer when he was still running for N.J. Governor next year, Save Jerseyans.

The formerly centrist rural South Jerseyan was starting to sound more like Bernie Sanders.

These days?

He’s contradicting himself so dramatically that it’s stunning even by political standards whereby flip flops are typically graded on a curve.

Check out this excerpt from a Matt Friedman/POLITICO piece on THE minimum wage ballot question imperiled by Democrat infighting, specifically, between Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto:

Sweeney instead supports increasing the wage for minors and farm workers to $10.10 an hour.

In both cases, after the full wage increases take effect, the minimum wage would continue to rise based on the Consumer Price Index, as it does now.

Sweeney, much of whose district in South Jersey is rural, said the $15 minimum wage for agricultural workers would put farmers “out of business.”

“We can’t absorb the cost. Farming is a commodity. And we compete all around the country when we sell commodity,” Sweeney said. ”When you’re selling something nationally it really comes down to price.”

“And sixteen- and eighteen-year-old kids — I don’t think are really in a position where they need a $15 minimum wage,” he said.

Ummm… Steve?

16-year-olds and laborers are the exact sort of folks who earn the minimum wage.

As we’ve argued again and again, the minimum wage isn’t a family wage. Working 40-year-old fathers or mothers of 3 are NOT the typical minimum wage earner. Second income family members, youngsters, and trainees who move up or out relatively quickly earn the minimum wage.

So not only is your logic for raising the minimum wage for some industries, but not others, nakedly self-contradictory (all businesses are engaged in national/international competition in the global age), but if you exclude young people from the arbitrary wage boost, as well as self-servingly exempt the agricultural industry you’re favoring because they’re heavily concentrated in your district…

…who are you truly helping? Besides your own political fortunes?

At that point, just be honest and raise taxes directly on fast food franchisees since that’s the next most-prolific minimum wage employer.

The problem you can’t/won’t answer: Why does your accurate “can’t absorb” logic apply to farmers but not the guy who owns five McDonald’s restaurants? And their employees?

#MinimumLogic = #MinimumEmployment.

Until he gives us a satisfactorily-consistent answer, Save Jerseyans, I say we work to circulate the nickname “Sweeneys” for all automatic cashiers cropping up throughout New Jersey. He deserves it. The people he’s hurting sure don’t.

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Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8390 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.