Daily Caller co-founder Neil Patel suggested a way to alleviate the negative impact of a minimum wage increase on small businesses during a Wednesday night appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Discussing Democrats’ push for a national $15 minimum wage with Fox News host and fellow Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson, Patel observed that more than doubling the current federal minimum wage would have a far different effect on small business than it would on large, often multinational corporations, many of which are already paying their employees above $15.
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“If you are gonna have a minimum wage, it doesn’t make any sense to have it the same in every location in America,” Patel contended. “It costs more than twice as much to live in Manhattan as it does in a small town in Kansas. And there’s no earthly reason both places should have the same minimum wage.”
“Similarly, it doesn’t make any sense to have the same minimum wage for huge multinational companies with thousands of employees and billions of dollars in profits as it does for say the deli on the corner of your block at home,” he continued before pointing out that small businesses often employ inexperienced high school students on a part-time basis.
Carlson and Patel went on to discuss the possibility that big business may support minimum wage increases in order to drive out the competition.
“They are publicly in favor of it and it’s because it crushes their small business competitors,” said Patel of large corporations like Amazon and Walmart. “They can afford it. They are already mostly paying $15 an hour wage and they know that the ones they compete with, the small town businesses can’t afford it.”
Patel then suggested one minimum wage for large companies, and another for small businesses.
“Why doesn’t Washington call their bluff?” he asked. “How about $20 or more on huge multinationals but $10 or less on the small business in the corner?” (RELATED: How A $15 Minimum Wage Could Move Jobs From Red States To Blue States)
Pointing out that over half of those arrested for their role in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot were facing financial difficulties, Patel called a minimum wage increase the “last thing” small businesses or the country needs.
“Washington needs to start looking at this and coming up with more innovative policies than ones that only are aligned with the big business agenda,” he concluded.
Despite a report from the Congressional Budget Office that says it could cost 1.4 million jobs, President Joe Biden remains “firmly committed” to implementing a $15 minimum wage nationwide.