Yesterday, I watched Fox’s Neil Cavuto interview one of the most dishonest people in America, Stuart Acuff. A former Organizing Director of the AFL-CIO, Acuff advocates forcing McDonalds to pay its employees $15/hour. Listening to this embodiment of evil, I realized three things:
I’m a fan of Cavuto’s, but he didn’t use bold, simple points. Engaging in a back-and-forth of competing statements, Cavuto sounded like a shill for the rich. It didn’t work. At all. Acuff stayed simplistic, stressing America’s income disparity (the rich can just pay more), along with obligatory examples of McDonalds employees struggling to get by. I’m sure young voters would trust him over Cavuto.
If we want to reach young (and all) voters on this issue, we’d better simplify. Now.
Five Basic Points
When asked about a $15/hour minimum wage, I make 5 basic points:
Now, let’s break these down.
Point 1 – Lower Rungs: “Why cut lower rungs off the ladder of success?”
If a $15/hour minimum wage hurts business—and it will—businesses will respond by cutting lower rungs off the ladder of success. In other words, they’ll create fewer entry-level jobs. Paying more for people who are starting out, employers will hire fewer of them, leaving less opportunity for climbing.
After 6 years of this presidency, our Labor Participation Rate sits at a 35-year low, hitting young people hardest. So, why make it more expensive to hire new employees? We need to add rungs, not cut them off!
Point 2 – They Can Leave: “Jobs aren’t guaranteed. Jobs can leave.”
If we jack up labor costs, what’s stopping businesses from outsourcing, automating, or moving? No, they don’t want to. They want real people helping their customers, not recordings or button displays—and creating American jobs is good for business. But they all have competitors, and costs are costs.
Unions jacked up wages in Detroit. Now look at Detroit. Or try dialing a call center for customer service help—where’s it located? Pick up countless items at Walmart or Target and see where they’re made. Blame the rich if you want, but none of this happened until we made it happen.
Point 3 – They’re Just Like You: “Why do you want business owners to not act like you?”
Suppose you have $10, and you want some fast food. Isn’t competition great? McDonalds, Burger King, Subway—everyone’s trying to offer the best bang for your buck. And you take the best deal.
But suppose someone has $10 million, and they want to start a business. Like you, they have lots of places competing, offering the best bang for their buck; places like America, Indonesia, Mexico, Korea, etc. So here’s my question: America, what are you offering? Looking at costs like labor, EPA, tax rates, energy policies, lawsuit protection—how are you competing?
The fact is, we aren’t, and a $15/hour minimum wage makes it much worse. So, here we all want businesses competing for our $10, but we don’t want to compete for their $10 million. High minimum wage advocates demand business owners not be like us. That’s crazy!
Point 4 – Back It Up! “If you think a $15/hour minimum wage is okay for business, then back it up!”
One of the most common arguments from $15 advocates is, “It won’t hurt business.” No, seriously. Acuff made the oft-repeated point that doubling wages for minimum wage workers would “only raise McDonalds prices by 50 cents a meal (a lie), and customers would gladly pay it.”
My answer: If higher base wages won’t seriously raise prices and drive off customers, then what’s stopping guys like Acuff from creating new competitors paying $15/hour? Labor leaders create nothing, build nothing, employ no one, and then say how easy it is—without risking a dime of their own!
Back it up, Stuart Acuff! Quit talking theory and prove yourself! Start a rival company, pay that higher wage, and put McDonalds out of business! C’mon Stuart, put your money where your mouth is! The way you talk, higher wages won’t hurt business, and customers will gladly pay higher prices! You sound so confident! You sound so sure! You’re a wealthy man, Stuart, so what’s stopping you?
Labor leaders claim examples where higher wages supposedly work, knowing full well these are affected by countless other factors. Don’t swap examples with them. Challenge them!
Back it up, Stuart!
Point 5 – Expensive Living: “If $15/hour is paid everywhere you buy things, what will everything cost?”
Think about it. Restaurants. Walmart. Grocery stores. Theatres. If everyone has to pay so much more for employees, what will they charge you for their products?
What a disaster! Not only will you lose jobs by cutting off lower rungs, but if you still find a job, your higher wage is lowered by skyrocketing inflation! And while you pay more for all those products that were made overseas because jobs moved, will labor leaders help you? You know, those guys who made all those claims without backing them up by risking their own money? Yeah, them—the same guys who said everything would be fine as long as business owners don’t act like the rest of us!
Oh sure, they’ll help. You betcha.
Staying Focused
Our argument on this issue can be simple, if we stay focused.
Will we use each point every time? Not a chance. Just be ready, because predators like Stuart Acuff are out there. Citing examples without context, they confuse arguments while luring their victims—all without conscience or regret. We really are fighting monsters on this issue. We’re slaying dragons. And we’ll never win by flailing wildly with our swords, spewing examples and factoids while evil opponents simply offer more money now.
So stay focused. Challenge them. A few simple thrusts right to the heart, and they’ll drop before you.
Buh-bye, Stuart.
- People of Acuff’s ilk have no conscience when lying. None whatsoever. And yet…
- …Acuff’s points are simpler than economically honest answers, so they sell better. So…
- …Conservatives need bold, simple points for combatting this agenda.
I’m a fan of Cavuto’s, but he didn’t use bold, simple points. Engaging in a back-and-forth of competing statements, Cavuto sounded like a shill for the rich. It didn’t work. At all. Acuff stayed simplistic, stressing America’s income disparity (the rich can just pay more), along with obligatory examples of McDonalds employees struggling to get by. I’m sure young voters would trust him over Cavuto.
If we want to reach young (and all) voters on this issue, we’d better simplify. Now.
Five Basic Points
When asked about a $15/hour minimum wage, I make 5 basic points:
- Lower Rungs.
- They can leave.
- They’re just like you.
- Back it up!
- Expensive living.
Now, let’s break these down.
Point 1 – Lower Rungs: “Why cut lower rungs off the ladder of success?”
If a $15/hour minimum wage hurts business—and it will—businesses will respond by cutting lower rungs off the ladder of success. In other words, they’ll create fewer entry-level jobs. Paying more for people who are starting out, employers will hire fewer of them, leaving less opportunity for climbing.
- Possible Leftist Response: “But people working in McDonalds are no longer just teens starting out. They’re older people, supporting families.” (Acuff tried this one)
- My Answer: That’s the point! When you cut off lower rungs, remaining jobs go to older people with more responsibilities! Have you looked at youth unemployment rates lately?
After 6 years of this presidency, our Labor Participation Rate sits at a 35-year low, hitting young people hardest. So, why make it more expensive to hire new employees? We need to add rungs, not cut them off!
- Possible Leftist Response: “Shouldn’t businesses cut fat at the top instead of the bottom?”
- My Answer: Many do! But cutting those positions leaves higher-skilled people needing work, so they take lower rung jobs. This still cuts off lower rungs, while leaving fewer promotions. Is this what you want? Fewer chances to start, and fewer promotions once you do?
Point 2 – They Can Leave: “Jobs aren’t guaranteed. Jobs can leave.”
If we jack up labor costs, what’s stopping businesses from outsourcing, automating, or moving? No, they don’t want to. They want real people helping their customers, not recordings or button displays—and creating American jobs is good for business. But they all have competitors, and costs are costs.
Unions jacked up wages in Detroit. Now look at Detroit. Or try dialing a call center for customer service help—where’s it located? Pick up countless items at Walmart or Target and see where they’re made. Blame the rich if you want, but none of this happened until we made it happen.
Point 3 – They’re Just Like You: “Why do you want business owners to not act like you?”
Suppose you have $10, and you want some fast food. Isn’t competition great? McDonalds, Burger King, Subway—everyone’s trying to offer the best bang for your buck. And you take the best deal.
But suppose someone has $10 million, and they want to start a business. Like you, they have lots of places competing, offering the best bang for their buck; places like America, Indonesia, Mexico, Korea, etc. So here’s my question: America, what are you offering? Looking at costs like labor, EPA, tax rates, energy policies, lawsuit protection—how are you competing?
The fact is, we aren’t, and a $15/hour minimum wage makes it much worse. So, here we all want businesses competing for our $10, but we don’t want to compete for their $10 million. High minimum wage advocates demand business owners not be like us. That’s crazy!
Point 4 – Back It Up! “If you think a $15/hour minimum wage is okay for business, then back it up!”
One of the most common arguments from $15 advocates is, “It won’t hurt business.” No, seriously. Acuff made the oft-repeated point that doubling wages for minimum wage workers would “only raise McDonalds prices by 50 cents a meal (a lie), and customers would gladly pay it.”
My answer: If higher base wages won’t seriously raise prices and drive off customers, then what’s stopping guys like Acuff from creating new competitors paying $15/hour? Labor leaders create nothing, build nothing, employ no one, and then say how easy it is—without risking a dime of their own!
Back it up, Stuart Acuff! Quit talking theory and prove yourself! Start a rival company, pay that higher wage, and put McDonalds out of business! C’mon Stuart, put your money where your mouth is! The way you talk, higher wages won’t hurt business, and customers will gladly pay higher prices! You sound so confident! You sound so sure! You’re a wealthy man, Stuart, so what’s stopping you?
Labor leaders claim examples where higher wages supposedly work, knowing full well these are affected by countless other factors. Don’t swap examples with them. Challenge them!
Back it up, Stuart!
Point 5 – Expensive Living: “If $15/hour is paid everywhere you buy things, what will everything cost?”
Think about it. Restaurants. Walmart. Grocery stores. Theatres. If everyone has to pay so much more for employees, what will they charge you for their products?
What a disaster! Not only will you lose jobs by cutting off lower rungs, but if you still find a job, your higher wage is lowered by skyrocketing inflation! And while you pay more for all those products that were made overseas because jobs moved, will labor leaders help you? You know, those guys who made all those claims without backing them up by risking their own money? Yeah, them—the same guys who said everything would be fine as long as business owners don’t act like the rest of us!
Oh sure, they’ll help. You betcha.
Staying Focused
Our argument on this issue can be simple, if we stay focused.
Will we use each point every time? Not a chance. Just be ready, because predators like Stuart Acuff are out there. Citing examples without context, they confuse arguments while luring their victims—all without conscience or regret. We really are fighting monsters on this issue. We’re slaying dragons. And we’ll never win by flailing wildly with our swords, spewing examples and factoids while evil opponents simply offer more money now.
So stay focused. Challenge them. A few simple thrusts right to the heart, and they’ll drop before you.
Buh-bye, Stuart.
RSS Feed