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The very existence of the minimum wage is not fair. It is not fair to wage-earners. It is not fair to consumers. It is not fair to small business.

The federally legislated minimum wage has given wage-earners a false sense of value for labor. Many have settled for much less than they deserve; some have gotten more than they were worth because of the law. There is no doubt that one cannot raise a family on minimum wage. For that matter, a college student cannot go to a good school and live well.

In theory a minimum wage job is a starting point. By the time marriage and family comes along one should be well beyond that level of employment. Even without a higher level of education, the worker has learned many things, has matured and most importantly has improved job skills. Unfortunately, in today's employment environment, those things have lost much of their meaning. Jobs dry up. Circumstances change. Other obligations take priority. In the world of changing jobs many highly qualified and capable applicants are hired at a wage that is far too low to maintain a decent standard of living. Why do they accept the wages? Because we have come to believe in a manufactured standard. A standard manufactured by a government, not known for its fiscal know-how. The American worker has been convinced that this standard, though obviously no longer in their favor, is just.

The consumer in our economy suffers from the impact of the minimum wage. Companies, wanting to get more for less, hire people at the lowest possible wage. Over time, and often it is short time, the employee becomes dissatisfied with the amount of work that is expected for the money. This dissatisfaction shines brightly in the face of the consumer. Product slows or becomes slipshod. Customer service becomes a chore, even a drudgery. The customer becomes an obstacle in the day to day tasks.

The minimum wage is a crutch used by many companies to justify low wages. In a (semi)free market, such as ours, it is the goal of individuals and corporations to make a profit. Labor is a huge cost in operating a business. I firmly believe that people should be compensated based on their position, their skills and the amount of time, money and effort they have put into education and training. No reasonable person would argue that a high school graduate grocery store cashier should receive the same wage as a civil engineer with four, five or six years of university training. Further,

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