Every year for the past several years, the minimum wage in Colorado has increased because voters approved the increase, with the goal of reaching $12 per hour. Related costs – food and housing, specifically – have also increased. What was gained?
The time has come to eliminate the minimum wage and to associate what an individual is paid with education and experience.
When an individual turns 16, a rite of passage usually results: a driver’s license, which costs money. In the form of savings or modest earnings accumulated through allowance or chores, the cost of the license is covered, but then come the costs of a vehicle – insurance, gas and maintenance.
More often than not, parents are willing to allow for such expenses if the new driver agrees to a part-time job which would pay the expenses; a job that pays a minimum wage, at best. Instead of the minimum wage, a student wage should be paid – perhaps $5 an hour.
In order to earn more, the student must agree to learn and consistently demonstrate competency and knowledge relevant to their job. As they demonstrate these skills, their pay increases.
When a student graduates high school and pursues higher education, they would again be paid another student wage, perhaps $7 an hour. After they complete their education, they would gain employment based on a salary, not an hourly wage because, again, their pay would be determined as a result of education and experience, and it would increase as they continue to fulfill relevant educational requirements and gain experience.
In the free market, such a model would encourage employers to acquire and retain qualified and competent employees.
James C. Hess
Loveland
