The failing minimum wage scam

The New York Times described a disappointing Washington rally for Democratic Senate candidates pushing the slogan, “America Needs a Raise.”

Only a few dozen attended the big event and The Times concluded: “The Democrats strategy of making an increase in the minimum wage a midterm election rallying cry has been drowned out by world events. The party continues to talk about it, but it appears that few are listening.”

While threats from ISIS, Ebola and Russia certainly dominate the news, the minimum wage was bound to flop as an election issue in any event. Only 2.6 percent of all workers are earning the legal minimum wage — and a sudden, unearned raise for them would tighten business budgets and make it harder for the 97.4 percent who already earn above minimums to win their own raises.

The Democratic minimum wage scam would favor new hires and less productive employees at the expense of everyone else.