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2016 Indy Endorsements, part 1

Editorial, Colorado Springs Independent, Oct 12, 2016

... Amendment 70, State Minimum Wage: This would raise the state minimum wage from $8.31 to $9.30 on Jan. 1, with further raises of 90 cents an hour each year until reaching $12 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020. More adjustments beyond that would be allowed, tied to cost of living.

Supporters say women and young adults would be impacted positively, because they are among the most affected by the suppressed current minimum wage. Arguments by opponents warn that small businesses would suffer, as would rural areas with a lower cost of living. Of course, many of those rural areas also have higher percentages of people living in poverty.

In our view, this is not a sudden, massive increase to $15 as proposed in other states. This makes much more sense, and we agree with those owners of small businesses who embrace the idea that it's better to pay employees even more, thus reducing turnover and the cost (in money and time) of training newcomers. YES

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Copyright 2016 The Colorado Springs Independent