Trickle Down Fallacies Exposed

Supply-siders and Milton Friedman freaks everywhere are always prattling on about the "market" this and "invisible hand" that, but when it's workers who are in short supply and the demand is for higher wages, just watch them head screaming into the hills. These are the same people who believe "full employment" is bad for the economy and argue that a steady unemployment rate of 4%-to-6% should be maintained through fiscal policy at the Fed. Nice deal for the 4-to-6-percenters, no?




Get a load of this story:

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The owner of a fast food joint in Montana's booming oil patch found himself outsourcing the drive-thru window to a Texas telemarketing firm, not because it's cheaper but because he can't find workers.


Record low unemployment across parts of the West has created tough working conditions for business owners, who in places are being forced to boost wages or be creative to fill their jobs.


John Francis, who owns the McDonald's in Sidney, Mont., said he tried advertising in the local newspaper and even offered up to $10 an hour to compete with higher-paying oil field jobs. Yet the only calls were from other business owners upset they would have to raise wages, too. Of course, Francis' current employees also wanted a pay hike.


"I don't know what the answer is," Francis said. "There's just nobody around that wants to work." [For $10-an-hour you fool!] (comment mine)

The answer is to pay people what the free market demands. Isn't that what Uncle Miltie would do? This kind of story just boggles the mind. We're expected to pay 3-bucks a gallon for gas, 4-bucks a gallon for milk, 8-bucks for a movie, but when it comes to people wanting demanding from a position of power to make a decent wage, well.... we can't have that now, can we?




Atrios adds: "People are working, apparently for 'other business owners.' They'd happily work for you if you offered them enough money.


"When I was in high school fast food jobs that paid $6.75/hr could be obtained. That's $11.50 in today's money."