Arlington Heights needs debate on minimum wage

Let's have the minimum wage debate first, Mr. Ridler.

On May 1, 2017, the Arlington Heights village board voted to opt out of the Cook County ordinance, that would have allowed the minimum wage to gradually rise to $13/hour, with five days of paid sick leave.

Since then, conditions surrounding the minimum wage issue have changed. The economy has expanded to near full employment, record stock prices, and a corporate tax cut that has led to soaring corporate profits.

Yet, real wages have stagnated or declined and the minimum wage remains at $8.25/hour in Arlington Heights.

Also, since May 2017, new economic research data, analysis and natural experiments regarding the minimum wage have become widely available.

Yet, Mr. Jon S. Ridler, executive director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, proposed two solutions to a debate that has not occurred (Letter, 'Answers for debate on minimum wage,' Sept. 8).

Let's have the debate first, Mr. Ridler, before any solutions are proposed. Since the village subsidizes the Metropolis Theater, maybe we can use their facility for a communitywide discussion regarding the minimum wage.

Or, is this where the Chamber of Commerce, and its subsidiary, the Arlington Economic Alliance, decide the outcome before the discussion?

So, let's arrange an objective face-to-face debate first, with all sides present regarding the minimum wage and paid sick leave, before any conclusions are decided.

Keith Moens

Arlington Heights