| Unleash Prosperity Hotline – Weekend Edition Issue #226 2/19/2021, 2/20/2021, 2/21/2021 |
| 1) Gee, This Is a Great Time to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour! The Washington Post reports Thursday in a bold headline:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/road-to-recovery/2021/02/17/unemployed-workers-retraining/ “The Post quotes Susan Lund, head of the McKinsey Global Institute as saying: “We think that there is a very real scenario in which a lot of the large employment, low-wage jobs in retail and in food service just go away in the coming years.” But then we saw this headline from CNBC on Feb 8:  https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/08/raising-minimum-wage-to-15-would-cost-1point4-million-jobs-cbo-says.html The Post recommends “retraining programs” so these “millions of workers” can get jobs. Sure. Ask the thousands of chronically unemployed coal miners how well those government retraining programs work. We have a better idea: How about not pricing one and a half million retail and restaurant workers out of the jobs market? |
| 2) California Recall, Here We Come Supporters have now collected way over the 1.5 million signatures needed to force a recall election of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The special election will be held this fall. CA is of course a heavily Democratic state, but polls show Democrats and independents are increasingly apprehensive about the direction of the state. “The mere existence of the recall movement has moved Newsom and his fellow Democrats away from some bad policies,” ReformCalifornia.org chairman Tom Del Beccaro told us. The recall may have played a role in Newsom’s sudden decision to lift stay-at-home orders last month and also allow outdoor dining. Talk of an economically damaging income tax increase or a wealth tax has also vanished for now. In addition, the fate of a fracking ban passed by the legislature is also uncertain. Politico reports: “The governor wanted nothing to do with it. He deflected a question on his position by saying he hadn’t read the bill and couldn’t weigh in.” https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2021/02/18/faulconer-pushes-california-comeback-newsom-caleg-forge-96b-covid-relief-deal-californians-react-to-limbaughs-death-rove-noem-scott-stefanik-to-speak-at-cagop-convention-491797 Don’t forget Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor when Democrat Gray Davis was recalled. Also, when California voters focus on issues rather than personalities, they often exercise common sense. Last November, California voters rejected watering down the Proposition 13 property-tax cut, spurned an effort to restore racial preferences, turned thumbs down on a move to end cash bail for criminals, opposed allowing local rent control, and rejected a law designed to unionize app-based delivery and ride-sharing drivers. Maybe there is hope yet for the Golden State. https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/02/californias-coming-recall/ |
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