Letter to the Editor: Raising minimum wage won’t help workers

I am responding to the Commentary by Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Glasgow (“Setting record straight on the ‘fight for $15,’ June 3”).

He shares his opinion on why we should have a $15-per-hour minimum wage. To his points, I say so what?

You see, I am an old guy. Since the beginning of mankind walking on this Earth, the elderly were respected for the knowledge and wisdom life’s experiences gave them. It seems, however, that either Rep. Morrison is too young to have the same experiences age brings or maybe does not want to consider a senior’s knowledge on the subject.

My first real job in the 1960s paid the minimum wage of $1.75 per hour. I remember the elation when I got the raise from a new law to $2 per hour, but that elation did not last awfully long. For example, after saving what I could for a down payment, I bought my first new car — a 1969 Dodge Charger — for around $2,200. So now, the minimum wage is more than five times what I made back then, but a new Dodge Charger costs more than 15 times more than then. So what have we gained? OK, I worked hard and was promoted and received raises quite often.

But I earned it. My high school motto translated from Latin was “Let he who earns the palm wear it,” and I did, and most students at that time did, also. But now “participation trophies” are more the rule.

Minimum wage was meant to help people. It has not. When the cost of hiring entry-level or low-skilled employees increases, a business has two choices: Make less money or charge more for its goods and services. Over the decades, these wages have increased significantly as a percentage of total costs. This affects the entire supply chain, from raw-material production, transportation of raw materials, manufacturing, assembly, transportation to retail establishments and retail activity, as well. So I feel that raising minimum wages for everyone caused the price of goods and services to increase exponentially.

All along the way, the basic employees made more in every step, but now, they can still only afford what they could only afford before. In my youth, a McDonald’s hamburger cost 15 cents, gas was 39 cents per gallon, a movie ticket was about 25 cents for a Saturday matinee and maybe 75 cents for adults in prime time.

What have we gained? What have we learned? Same answer: nothing.

I hope this madness stops, at least in Delaware.

Benjamin Cassell

Greenwood