THE OP SESSION TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE INCLUDES A VARIETY OF BUSINESS GROUPS AND COMPANIES
LARGE AND SMALL BE THEY SAY THE
COSTS ARE TOO HIGH ESPECIALLY AS
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN
THERE COVID WRECKED ECONOMY AND
COULD HURT THE PEOPLE MEANT TO
HELP.
CARLOS IS HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT.
SOUTH FLORIDA RESTAURANT OWNER
AND TODAY REPRESENTING THE
FLORIDA RESTAURANT AND LODGING
ASSOCIATION. CARLOS, HOW ARE
YOU?
>> GOOD, THANKS FOR HAVING ME
LET’S LET YOU ANSWER THE
ACCUSATIONS WHERE YOU SAY YOU IS
WILL HAVE TO LAYOFF BUSKERS AND
DISHWASHERS AND THAT THAT IS A
LIE, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE.
>> MY RESPONSE IS THAT WE IN
SPIRIT WE ALL WANT TO INCREASE
WAGES ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE AT
LOW INCOME BECAUSE AT THE END OF
THE DAY, WHAT MR. MORGAN IS
INDICATING IS THAT YOU WANT TO
INCREASE PURCHASING POWER FOR
THOSE WORKERS.
UNFORTUNATELY HOW THIS CEMENT
WAS WRITTEN AND DONE WAS
INCORRECT.
AND IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HURT
AND HAVE UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES, FIRST THIS IS A
CONSTITUTIONAL BATTLE.
WITH THE INCREASE OF MINIMUM
WAGE, WE-- RIGHT NOW KEY TO THE
CONSTITUTION, WAS THIS INCREASE
PER WAGE, NOT ONLY INCREASES THE
WAGE OF JUST THE WORKER.
>> CARLOS, IF I CAN INTERRUPT, I
THINK ALL REASONABLE PEOPLE
WOULD AGREE DOING THIS BY
STATUTE ASK BETTER THAN DOING IT
CONSTITUTIONALLY.
BUT YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO THE ISSUE
OF HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK
IN THIS HUGE INDUSTRY IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA WOULD LOSE
THEIR JOBS IF THE PAY IS RAISED
BY A DOLLAR AN HOUR OVER THE
COURSE OF FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID A STUDY
ON THE FLORIDA RESTAURANT
ASSOCIATION.
IT INCREASED OUR COSTS OVER A
MILLION DOLLARS.
OKAY.
NO SMALL BUSINESS CAN ABSORB
THAT COST WITHOUT DOING WHAT WE
SAW IN SEATTLE.
THERE IS NOT-- THIS IS ACTUAL
FACTS, OKAY.
IT INCREASES TECHNOLOGY, IT
INCREASES PRICES.
IT CUTS KSES-- NO ONE, NOT ONE
POLITICIAN HAS COME UP WITH A
PLAN TO RESOLVE THE LIVING WAGE
ISSUE.
WE CAN HAVE POLITICIANS THAT ARE
DEM-- EVERYONE HAS THEIR ECONOMY
MODEL.
TO REALLY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, TO
REALLY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE,--
HAVING A ONE SIZE FIT
POLICY HAS NOT WORKED AND THEN
HAS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
NOW TALK ABOUT-- RIGHT NOW YOU
THINK BIG BUSINESS CAN AFFORD
THIS, REALLY?
WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY,
MICHAEL, DISNEA JUST ANNOUNCED
11,000 PEOPLE WE FIRED BY THE
END OF THIS, THIS IS DISNEY WHO
HAS MORE.
>> CARLOS, PARDON ME FOR
INTERRUPTING, WE ARE JUST ON A
TIME SCHEDULE AND I WANT TO BE
ABLE TO GET YOU, GET TO YOU BE
GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS
POSSIBLE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, THE
LEGISLATURE IS SORT OF THE BODY
THAT IS SUPPOSED TO DO THIS STAT
TORLY BUT HAS NOT WHICH IS WHY
JOHN MORGAN WORKED SO HARD TO
PUT THIS TO THE PEOPLE.
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE MAKING
MINIMUM WAGE WHO ASK:NOT AFFORD
TO BUY GROSSRY AND PUT THEIR
LIGHTS ON AT THE STAIM SIEM.
I’M NOT CERTAIN, WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT YOU PAY YOUR WORKERS BUT WE
ALL CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MINIMUM
WAGE IS NOT A LIVABLE WAGE IN
MIAMI TO YOUR POINT, SO WHAT IS
THE ANSWER THEN, RIGHT NOW IN
COVID TO HELP THE PEOPLE WE LIVE
AMONG MAKE A WAGE THEY CAN LIVE
ON AND THAT THEIR FAMILIES CAN
LIVE ON.
>> THERE IS NO TRANSPARENCY.
I DON’T KNOW-- WITH TARGET,
INCREASES AND WAGES, IT IS AN
ECONOMIC MODEL, JUST LIKE THAT,
INCREASE HIS WAGE.
THE FIRST STEP, THERE IS DREAT
TRANSPARENCY.
NEXT UP IS TALKING ABOUT BEING
STRAJ YOU CAN TO HELP THOSE, SO
EARNINGS FROM TAX CREDIT.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE $9 MILLION
PEM OUT OF POVERTY EVERY YEAR.
IT IT FOCUSES ON LOW INCOME
WORKERS.
WE HAVE MORE SENIORS IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA THAN ANY OTHER
STATE SO THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE
PURCHASING, AND INCOME WORKERS
BUT DON’T INCREASE PRICES FOR
THOSE LIKE SENIORS WHO HAVE LESS
DISCRETIONARY INCOME.
FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION BY BEING
INDUSTRY SPECIFIC.
CREATE ALLIANCES, THAT IS WHAT
WE SHOULD BE DOING NOW.
NOT CREATING A LAW THAT WE WILL
SAY OUR TARGET IS CONSTANTLY
MOVING.
WE NEED NOT A CONSTITUTIONAL
BATTLE, WE NEED A LEGISLATURE
THAT LISTENS TO INDUSTRIES ON
HOW TO INCREASE PEOPLE, AND THAT
HASN’T HAPPENED.
BUT AS WELL AS-- COMING
TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW FOR ALL THE
VOTERS OUT THERE, EVEN IF
YOU-- UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS WHY
YOU NEED TO GET PEOPLE THAT ARE
INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TO HELP THOSE
LOW-WAGE WORKERS WITHOUT THE
LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT FOR OUR
CONSUME ARES.
>> I AM GOING TO HAVE TO CUT YOU
OFF THERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING.
I SAY I LIKE EATING AT SERGIOS,
YOUR RESTAURANTS, THEY’RE
TERRIFIC.
AND GOOD LUCK.
WE’LL SEE WHAT WHAT HAPPENS.
60% HIGH BAR TO PASS HERE ON ANY
OF THESE AMENDMENTS.