Minimum wages of $15 per hour or more are now advocated. Consider a general example with probable results.

A small, family founded company employs 20 full-time — 40 hour per week — workers. A $12 an hour cashier is raised to $15. The $16 an hour delivery driver will expect $19 per hour. The $19 per hour assistant manager will expect $22. So payroll increases $2,400 per week — or over $100,000 per year.

This cuts deeply into the net profit from which the owners are paid; they took the initial risks to start the business.

To maintain earnings, the price of goods and/or services needs raised or layoffs will occur. Since higher prices usually lower demand, layoffs are likely regardless. Those retaining jobs will have a higher living standard; those laid off will not. There are at least two possible caveats.

Generally raising prices can reduce the buying power of the pay raise. And, recently, some have declined jobs due to high unemployment benefits. The latter is unsustainable.

If there are to be higher wages, overhead must be carefully managed and profit margin must be maintained for founders, owners and stockholders.

Otherwise, there will be layoffs and company closures. More goods will be imported. An alarming amount already are,especially from Communist China.

The prepandemic economy was very strong. Unemployment was at a 50-year low in late 2018. Energy self-sufficiency, lower corporate taxes and strong borders helped. Full employment and decent wages are more likely if those conditions are restored. The current recovery is largely due to the pandemic ending. It’s ending sooner due to the ‘warp speed’ drive for vaccines advocated by Donald Trump.

Left-leaning ‘progressives’ are complicit in Biden’s porous border crisis. Their “defund police” campaigns have encouraged rising crime rates in cities with ‘progressive’ mayors. Their stand on riots is notoriously weak. So their sanctimonious sermons to Republicans, especially conservatives, are conspicuously lame.

Terry D. Hallock is a Warren resident.