Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Minimum Wage

Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders
No Comments
Fox News, Approved, State

Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders

By Kristine Parks, Julia Bonavita and Nikolas Lanum | Fox News Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President JJ Ament worries more regulations will hurt small businesses. Affordability was a top concern among voters who helped launch democratic socialist congressional candidate Melat Kiros to victory in Denver's Democratic primary in June over 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette.  But as democratic socialists gain momentum in Colorado, business owners are grappling with how their progressive policies may collide with the actual costs of running a business in Denver. "With DSA specifically, I think that, too many times, the rhetoric sounds great until it meets the economic realities," J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber o...
Read More
Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability

By Sophia Villalba | Denver7 DENVER — Denver's minimum wage will rise to $19.84 an hour on Jan. 1, renewing debate over how higher labor costs affect workers and businesses. Some say the increase is necessary, while others say the higher wages could impact business operations. Every business owner implements cost-cutting methods however they can. At Elemental Bakery and Coffeehouse, owner Cindy Wright chooses to take on more work herself to save some money. “Instead of hiring a dish person, we all do the dishes. We're not looking to raise prices or anything right now,” Elemental Bakery & Coffeehouse owner Cindy Wright said. Spending is top of mind, especially with another minimum wage increase on the horizon. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVE...
Read More
New York’s Collectivist Experiment: A Cautionary Tale for Colorado Too
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

New York’s Collectivist Experiment: A Cautionary Tale for Colorado Too

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In his inaugural remarks, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York should “replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”  https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2006823362182394125?s=20 It sounded philosophical. For many residents listening, though, it also sounded practical—a signal that the city was preparing to step in more forcefully as everyday costs continued to rise. This shift, driven by mounting financial pressures on families, risks long-term trade-offs in housing supply, job growth, public services, and safety—are issues explored below. The appeal of collectivism in a city like New York does not begin with theory. It begins with pressure. ...
Read More
Colorado Businesses Warn State Policies Threaten Economic Future
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Businesses Warn State Policies Threaten Economic Future

By Dan Grossman | Denver7 The sentiment comes from the latest Colorado Businesses Roundtable fall outlook survey and points to Colorado's affordability issues and regulatory environment. DENVER — Colorado businesses said they’re almost twice as worried about our state’s economic future as they are about the nation’s. This is from the Colorado Business Roundtable survey that just came out. The survey asked 50 business executives about what’s concerning them. The responses point toward Colorado’s affordability issues and policies supporting workers. “What we've been seeing over time is really the layering on effect of regulation, rules for businesses that really add a cost of doing business to Colorado,” Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown said. “When the eco...
Read More
Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity
No Comments
Rasmussen Reports, Approved, Commentary, National

Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity

By Brian Joondeph | Commentary, Rasmussen Reports A new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that 40% of Americans now believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, up from 36% a year ago. That’s a strong sentiment. After all, who doesn’t want working Americans to earn more? But compassion and sound economics are two very different things. In fact, the optimal minimum wage from an economic perspective is zero. This isn't an insult to workers but a recognition that government cannot create prosperity by decree, despite campaign promises. When wages are set by law instead of supply and demand, the first casualties are often those who need an entry point, such as teenagers, part-time workers, and adults looking for a second job to supplement their income. Contrary to...
Read More
Fewer teens working as minimum wage hikes cut entry-level jobs
No Comments
The Daily Signal, Approved, Commentary, National

Fewer teens working as minimum wage hikes cut entry-level jobs

By Rachel Greszler | Commentary, The Daily Signal As an older millennial, my high school and college summers were defined largely by the jobs I held. Not many of today’s teens can say the same. Once a rite of passage, teen jobs are now endangered. Just 35% of 16- to 19-year-olds worked last summer, down from 54% in 2000. It’s a big deal. My only purpose in working as a teen was to earn as much money as possible. But I now realize the experience and life lessons those jobs provided were far more valuable. Low-wage, entry-level jobs provide the perfect opportunity for young people to learn the importance of key skills: showing up on time, getting along with co-workers, demonstrating respect and kindness toward customers who may lack both, and...
Read More
Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control
No Comments
Approved, Axios, State

Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control

By John Frank | Axios Denver The nasty fight at the Colorado Capitol over how much to pay tipped restaurant workers ended in a standoff this week. The big picture: Gov. Jared Polis signed the Restaurant Relief Act into Colorado law on Tuesday, with backing from the Colorado Restaurant Association and other major industry organizations. Why it matters: The result is a victory for the opposition, which mounted an aggressive campaign against the legislation, though it gives cash-pinched restaurant owners another chance to make their case at the local level. Threat level: The state's restaurant industry faces a crisis, with as many as 200 closing statewide last year — a majority of which operated in Denver — partially prompting the legislative proposal...
Read More
Colorado legislature passes bill punting to local governments on how much restaurant servers are paid
No Comments
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado legislature passes bill punting to local governments on how much restaurant servers are paid

By Tamara Chuang | The Colorado Sun A contentious bill pitting many restaurant owners against workers over how much tipped employees should earn was approved by the Colorado legislature Tuesday, with the restaurant industry feeling like it had achieved a small victory.  While the industry sought to offset tipped workers’ paychecks with more of their gratuities, therefore reducing their base pay in some scenarios, the decision has been punted to local governments.  Under House Bill 1208, which now heads to Gov. Jared Polis, relief won’t come immediately — if ever. Especially not in Denver, where dozens of restaurant owners testified that high minimum wages exacerbated their struggles to survive and keep up with rising food, rent and insurance costs. Some members on Denver...
Read More
Niwot residents urge Boulder County to pause minimum wage ordinance harming small businesses
No Comments
Approved, Left Hand Valley Courier, Local

Niwot residents urge Boulder County to pause minimum wage ordinance harming small businesses

By Peggy B. Graham | Left Hand Valley Courier During the Boulder County Commissioners' public comment session on April 3, several Niwot residents addressed the commissioners with significant concerns about the detrimental effects of the current minimum wage ordinance on Niwot's small businesses. Ordinance 2023-4, which took effect on January 1, 2024, established the minimum wage for unincorporated Boulder County at $16.57 per hour this year, $1.76 higher than the neighboring incorporated towns and cities, except Boulder, which is still lower than the county ordinance. The ordinance mandates annual increases, reaching $25 per hour by 2030, and then further adjusting in accordance with the Consumer Price Index. Notably, most larger municipalities within...
Read More
House Bill 1208: Price controls for a minimum wage mistake
No Comments
Approved, completecolorado.com, State

House Bill 1208: Price controls for a minimum wage mistake

By Ari Armstrong, Complete Colorado What happens when the price of eggs soars? People buy fewer eggs and start looking for substitutes. What would happen if, say, government set a $10 minimum price on a dozen eggs, higher than the usual price in stores these days? People would buy fewer eggs, yet producers would want to sell all the eggs they could. Some eggs would sit around unpurchased. No one disputes the economics of price controls on eggs. (We can leave to another day discussion of legislative attempts to set de facto price limits on products.) But, somehow, when it comes to wages, we’re supposed to throw basic economics out the window and pretend that price controls don’t matter. Obviously no one thinks that price controls never matter. If government set a minimum price of a...
Read More