I felt the Bern when Bernie Sanders was in the race, but as time has progressed, I realized some of his policies may be more dangerous than we realized. Sometimes, in life numbers cannot tell a whole story. People have to rely on what they experience and see. Young people clamor for increased minimum wage without thinking about the consequences.

America needs better jobs, not minimum wage changes. Another question: What happens to the goods you buy from that store when we increase wages? The answer is logical. The prices of the goods you buy increase substantially and they increase beyond the rise in wages. The examples I’ll use to illustrate this point are a few of the foods I buy almost weekly. Anyone that knows me knows I love pizza. I have eaten pizza once or twice a week for most of my life. Since 2008, the minimum wage in West Virginia has been $7.25. In 2015 it rose to $8, and it now rests at $8.75.

I know my pizza, and before 2015 I could buy a large pizza for about 9 to 12 dollars (excluding specials). Now, the same large pizza costs about 13 to 17 dollars (excluding specials). The exact average is $15.10. That is a far cry from the nearly 9 to 12 dollars from a couple of years ago. Our wage has only increased by $1.50, but the cost of goods has increased by about 5 dollars. Hypothetically speaking, if we get up to $15.00 minimum wage that same pizza will cost about $31.00. I have not even discussed the 2 dollar delivery charge that did not exist years ago. Eventually, we will get to a point where our goods are not affordable. A few years ago I had a 100 meg internet. Now, I have 50 meg internet and a data cap for the same price. My internet is 50% as effective as it once was and a measly $1.50 is supposed to offset that. Look at the things you frequently buy and compare the price to what they were before minimum wage increases.

The government tricks you. They get you to act against your self-interest with these grand ideas. I have not even looked into all the bills or taxes imposed on different goods and services. Bills have increased quite a bit from a mere two years ago; I know that much. The worst part of all this is that increasing minimum wage does not mean that the people with good jobs currently get paid more. Their employer may pay them more, but in most cases, they will not. Coal mining, automobile workers, and other blue collar jobs are left with un-increasing wages. They have these dangerous jobs where their life is on the line. The politicians act like their friend and tell them we’ll help you out. Instead, they ensure that a few of them will lose their jobs. The once good jobs are paying less. In addition, because of the increase in wages people are getting laid off.

Your favorite local spot to eat food or shop for clothes may not be able to afford the increase. An example I heard on the Jason Stapleton program stuck with me. Washington is a state where the increased wages have struck. A local shop owner has a business and treats their workers well. This shop already paid their workers above minimum wage, but now the increase is higher than what they were getting paid. Suddenly, they have to pay their workers more at the minimum than they did at the raised stage. This shop owner has to pay more for the resources their goods are comprised of due to the increased wages. They go to the government and say I cannot pay my workers this increased wage. The government says too bad, deal with it. The shop owner cannot deal with it, so the shop goes out of business. All those people are jobless. Stories like this are happening everywhere in the United States. You ever notice all the new buildings up for lease? Why do you think that is?

What we need are better jobs and lower prices for goods and services. What good is more minimum wage if you have a good job and are not getting paid more? You have to pay more for everything else now. Not only that but more people lose their jobs due to the increased wages. Essentially, the government has tricked you into thinking you’re making more money by adding more zeroes to your check. Yes, your check is bigger number wise...but that does not take into account how much more money you’re paying the government. You make more money, yet you pay more on everything across the board. Anyone remember when a soft drink was only a 1.30 at the most? Now, you go in and eat somewhere that soft drink is probably 2 to 3 dollars. We only get an increase of $1.50. Prices are skyrocketing, and the increase in wage will continue this everlasting cycle of price increases. Fight for better jobs, not higher wages. Fight for more opportunities for raise not increasing the minimum wage.

Some people may hate me for this stance, but I have not seen enough positives to go forward with this. I want everyone to keep track of everything they buy. Compare the price now to a few years ago. Look at the movie theater. Tightwad Tuesdays you can enjoy a movie for $6. Oh, you mean the price of a movie three or four years ago? Now, a movie that was $6.75 a few years ago is about $8.75 or even $9. We cannot let this happen. Let’s demand better jobs and more jobs, not higher prices.