A highly-touted list of economists who support raising the minimum wage includes many people with questionable credentials or far-left, controversial views, according to the conservative Employment Policies Institute.
After a proposed minimum wage increase ran into economic objections, the liberal Economic Policy Institute collected the names of economists who defend the measure. Since the organization released the list, the White House, Democratic elected officials, liberal organizations and various media outlets have cited the list of 602 as evidence it will be economically beneficial to boost the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10.
The Employment Policies Institute has examined the list. According to their analysis, of the signatories who actually hold a Ph.D. in economics, 259 (45 percent) did not specialize in labor economics.
Researchers concluded that ten people on the list do not even hold a Ph.D. in economics. One of them appears to be an undergraduate at Queens College who, according to his LinkedIn account, is seeking employment as a security guard.
There were 21 people on the list whose specialty and academic credentials couldn’t be determined by the Employment Policies Institute.
Researchers also report at least 40 signatories held radical political views or have made extreme statements, according to the Employment Policies Institute.
One of the list’s members defined a rogue state as “a fierce and dangerous animal, like an elephant, that separates itself from its herd,” and labeled the United States “the world’s number one rogue.” Another called former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez “a great leader.” A third wrote a paper in which he praised the “particular model of socialism pioneered by the Soviet Union.”
Another signer, Paul Zarembka, edited the book,“The Hidden History of 9/11.”
“There are still highly-qualified and intelligent signers on this list — not the least of which are the seven Nobel Laureates supporting a jump to $10.10,” the Employment Policies Institute report says.
Predictably, many signers have liberal or labor union affiliations, including: Center for American Progress; Union of Concerned Scientists; Massachusetts Climate Action Network; American Federation of Teachers; Service Employees International Union; United Auto Workers and the AFL-CIO.
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