The Trickle Up Begins

Governor J.B. Pritzker came through on his number one campaign promise yesterday, putting Illinois on track to become the first Midwest state to hit a minimum wage of $15 an hour. There’s a picture of him celebrating with his fellow Democrats after signing the increase into law.

The bump kicks in gradually until we get to the magic $15-dollar mark in 2025.  

University presidents say it will cost their schools millions. Local school districts are estimating hundreds of thousands. On Main Street in Southern Illinois one of two things will happen-----either part-time workers will be sent packing----or the price of goods and services will go up dramatically for consumers.

Here’s a good example----I talked to the Wayne County Ambulance Service last night. A trained Emergency Medical Technician here in Fairfield makes $10.67 an hour and a paramedic makes $14. 94.

The EMTs will get a bump each year starting next January until they make fifteen bucks an hour. So what happens to the Paramedics? Well, getting a bump of a few cents to top them off at fifteen dollars won’t be enough. They will want that five dollar cushion that existed between them and the EMTs.

The trickle up will have to be paid somehow…..that ambulance run will cost more

I love the smug economists who say a rising tide lifts all boats. More money in the hands of workers means a boom. I predict fewer jobs, higher costs for products and services and very little investment in the creation of new jobs in Illinois.

And I’m an optimist.