Editor’s Note: This online commentary was submitted in response to HBJ’s Nov. 10 print story “State broadens efforts to eradicate CT’s underground economy.”
The better solution for combating the “underground” economy is for the state to stop making it so difficult and expensive to do business in this state. Employees want to work. Business owners want to work, and they need employees. But Connecticut’s government has become such a burden on businesses that they either close or cut some of the regulatory corners to stay afloat.
From this article, it is clear the state is very interested in putting people out of work and closing businesses that can’t afford to pay all their tax. Isn’t that what the mafia used to call it, a “tax”?
We need to reduce red tape and the over-regulation of small businesses. This article proves that the minimum wage takes jobs away from people who want to work. There were businesses that paid their employees an agreed upon rate. The state came in, shut down the businesses, and put the employees out of work. No one was forcing these employees to work at these wages. Now the state is forcing these employees out of work and they are getting zero wages. Minimum wage = minimum jobs.
Labor cost, just like any other cost, is a factor of supply and demand. If you increase the supply of labor, by allowing illegal immigrants to flood our state, you reduce the cost of it. It’s economics 101. That’s why the big businesses are all in favor of allowing as many illegal immigrants into this country as possible.
Mary Reilly
