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John de Clef Piņeiro, Esq.
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In the spirit of your masthead motto "The Truth is Always Fair," I need to point out what clearly appears to be a gross overstatement (that doesn't take account of the truth) in your recent article "Totalitarian Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate's Plan Would Bankrupt State," published on April 15, 2014.
Although there are various other items that could also be corrected, I will highlight this one statement:
"The number of New York State businesses that would fold if the minimum wage were raised to $15 an hour is incalculable. The entire class of "working poor" would be eliminated, because most would be laid off their menial jobs and become the 'unemployed poor.'"
It seems clear that the author of the article is unaware that a "living wage" minimum wage of $15.21 is already and has been the law in one of New York's more populous counties.
In Nassau County, Long Island, in New York State:
"As of August 1, 2013 the Living Wage is $15.21 an hour or $13.35 with health benefits. This rate will stay in effect until August 1, 2014, when it will be adjusted upward by a percentage equal to the change in the New York Metropolitan Area All Urban Index (NY CPI-U) as promulgated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor (CPI) for the period of June of the preceding year to June of the current year. In no event shall such wage increase be greater than three and one-half percent." (See http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Comptroller/Livingwage/index.html)
Notably, we've seen no reports that "The entire class of 'working poor' [has been] eliminated, because most [have been] laid off their menial jobs and become the 'unemployed poor.'"
Yours For Government That Works FOR The People.
John de Clef Piñeiro, Esq. is a graduate of Yale Law School, is the former First Deputy General Counsel of the New York City Housing Authority and a composer by avocation.
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