By Daily Press staff
The national coverage of Santa Monica’s debate on the living wage ordinance will be discussed at a town hall meeting Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The event is sponsored by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, which has publicly fought against the living wage ordinance.
Several people have been selected to discuss the Nov. 5 ballot measure that asks voters to increase the minimum wage from $6.75 to $12.25. In July 2001, the Santa Monica City Council adopted the first municipal wage law in the United States.
The new wage, which would be more than an 80 percent increase, would apply to employees who work at businesses located roughly a half mile inland from the ocean that generate more than $5 million in revenue annually.
Speakers include professor David Neumark of Michigan State University and professor Richard Sander of the University of California, Los Angeles. KABC radio personality Al Rantel will moderate the discussion.
Experts in their respective fields, each speaker will bring a different perspective to the debate. Nuemark has conducted several studies of traditional minimum wage laws, which generally conclude that they have a negative impact on low income workers.
Sander has prepared a report on the likely effects of Santa Monica’s proposed law. Sander has studied the effects of Los Angeles’ living wage law, which is currently in place.
The chamber argues that the living wage law discourages new businesses from coming to Santa Monica and that many businesses will be unable to expand or remain open. The chamber also argues the minimum wage law will damage the city’s economy, have little effect on workers and will damage the city’s budget, since it is one of those employers that generates more than $5 million annually and will have to divert millions of dollars to track the new law.
“At issue here is the very survival of many Santa Monica businesses,” said Kathy Dodson, the chamber’s executive director. “It is also important for the residents of Santa Monica to fully understand the impact that the minimum wage ordinance will have on their community and city services.”
Supporters of the law argue that it’s only fair that people get paid a fair wage, especially in a city where it’s becoming more difficult to live affordably. They argue other cities have put similar laws into effect and it has helped their local economies.
The event, which is open to the entire community, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, located at 530 Pico Boulevard. The cost is $25 and reservations can be made at the chamber of commerce. After the speakers present their findings, there will be opportunity for people to ask questions.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 20, 2002. Read the original PDF.