I have to comment on the simplistic editorial on Feb. 2, “Raise skills, not base pay: Minimum-wage workers’ concerns valid, but hike to $12 could cost them jobs.” According ibisworld.com (an independent market research group) Wal-Mart’s average worker makes $8.81 while Costco’s starting pay is $11.50 and average wage is $21 an hour. Costco’s leadership has called for a federal minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour. Do you honestly think that a “highly skilled” worker at Wal-Mart could ever reach $21 per hour? If you look at Costco’s bottom line, they are making a good profit. Wal-Mart’s profit margin is obscene. It makes sense to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.
You understand, of course, that a full-time worker at Wal-Mart may receive a federal subsidy in the form of food stamps or subsidized housing. If we want a smaller government we need businesses to do their part.
George Hamilton
Battle Ground
