Reply #26: Of course not [View All]

[pop goes the weasel]

Why not instead make it mandatory that governments find people a job with living wages?

Already, people getting welfare are required to get jobs (that was part of the welfare reform act of 1996). They don't keep them because minimum wage does't cover transportation, child-care and the higher cost of clothing and food required for work outside the house. In fact, when you are poor, working for minimum wage can result in a net loss in income, even if there is no welfare coming in. Why should poor people have to subsidize stingy employers?

Further, forced labor (didn't we have a civil war over that issue?) destroys the free labor market. The working poor would be done no favors by making them compete for their crappy jobs with people who would be paid even less, or nothing at all.

The real shame is that so many people who are working full time jobs are already having to get welfare to make ends meet. If you want to be outraged about something, be outraged that your tax dollars are subsidizing businesses that make part of their profit by foisting off part of the cost of labor onto you.