Vestal minimizes wage impact

Sun., Feb. 19, 2017

In Shawn Vestal’s recent column on the many benefits of higher minimum wage, he quoted a study by Purdue University that said a jump from the current minimum wage of $7.25 to $15 wage would only raise the price of a Big Mac by 16 cents. As my Irish grandfather would say, that’s a bunch of malarkey.

Here in Washington we saw our minimum wage go up from $9.43 to $11, a much smaller increase than the Purdue research and anyone who lives in Washington knows that from Big Macs to Blizzards, the prices have gone up way more than 16 cents.

In my opinion, Vestal used “alternative facts” that a little common sense and a trip through a couple drive-thrus could have easily debunked.

Larry Medin

Spokane

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