Coming to a city near you:

On the November 4 ballot in McLean County, Illinois, specifically for the city of Bloomington, there was this poorly written, unchallenged question:

Shall all employees and subcontracted workers of the City of Bloomington be paid a Living Wage of a least $9.81 per hour, with an annual Cost of Living Adjustment?"

Let me remind your of the make up of McLean County, and Bloomington.  Long a Republican bastion, Obama beat McCain by 900 votes.  Unheard of.  Obama won Bloomington; not quite as suprising, but 10, even 5 years ago?  Never.  Not even close.

So let's get past the Obamamania that swept Illinois, the homestate of Obama; and get on to the Living Wage issue. If the issue comes to your village, town, city; which it will, I urge you to be ready with facts.

We know that often, the Living Wage is an ACORN issue; but our local CIOP (Central Illinois Organizing Project) a "faith-based" group, says they are not affiliated with ACORN.  Hmmmm; I"m working on that.

Most folks, I've noticed by my "hits" on my blogsite, are more interested in talking about national political issues; and yet the local issues, are the building blocks to the national issues; the Living Wage is a case in point; just not as "sexy" as Hillary Clinton being appointed Obama's Secretary of State perhaps.

Bloomington's Living Wage will affect you in Michigan. . . . you, in California, and you. . . well, you get the picture.

The proponents of the Living Wage for the City of Bloomington, want a $9.81 an hour minimum wage.  Sounds great doesn't it?

As an obvious opponent to the living wage increase being considered by for the City of Bloomington, I found a study that I hope you take the opportunity to read.  You can link to it on mcleancountypundit.com.

This study, which I agree with wholeheartedly and I think you will to once you read it, spells out the negative effects of this living wage not only on businesses, but unskilled laborers if this increase in enacted.

You don't have to be an economics professor to realize, especially in these current tough economic times, that the more skilled worker will be hired at this living wage vs. the unskilled worker; not to mention the increase in costs that will be passed along to the consumer by business owners forced to pay this higher wage; a wage by the way, higher than any state in the United States.

While this wage will be for City of Bloomington workers, I think we all know where this is headed once the door has been opened.

Let me give you some examples of hourly wages and where, if passed, this Bloomington Living Wage falls.

The Federal minimum wage is $6.55 an hour.

Illinois' minimum wage will be $8.00 an hour in 2009
Bloomington, Illinois' Living Wage proponents want $9.81 an hour

California's minimum wage is $8.00 an hour
Bloomington, Illinois' Living Wage proponents want $9.81 an hour

The state of Washington pays the highest minimum wage in the U.S. at $8.07 an hour
Shall I repeat, the Bloomington, Illinois' Living Wage proponents here want $9.81 an hour

By law, cities can pass a higher minimum wage than Federal or State wages. A few, not many, have done so.

The city with the highest minimum wage in America is Santa Fe, New Mexico; at $10.51.

If the City Council and our Mayor Steve Stockton pass the Living Wage proposed for at $9.81; Bloomington, Illinois will have the second highest minimum wage in America.

Please do some research; read the study at epionline.org

If your city tries to pass a Living Wage, most likely the people you think you are trying to help; are the ones who will be hurt.