Opinion: Cuomo's $15 Minimum Wage Idea is Wrong for New York

From Assembly candidate Suzi McDonough:

New York State is leading the nation in all the wrong categories, including the number of taxpayers and businesses that are voting with their feet and leaving the state all together. Small businesses throughout New York are already facing the nation's worst taxes and overregulation.

How does our Governor respond? Again, just like we’ve seen before, the Governor circumvented the Legislature to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers. The Governor’s political maneuver will cripple tens of thousands of businesses and lead to a worse economic climate and higher unemployment, not the revers. Sadly, these small businesses are already struggling to succeed.

Let it be clear that this use of Executive power was and is all about politics. Just like the un­SAFE Act, Cuomo’s actions are purely political. Cuomo undermined the system to implement a politically­driven agenda that will kill businesses and consumers. This is just another tax in a state that is dying a slow death of a thousand cuts.

As a past small business owner, I know how difficult it is to meet payroll and make ends meet in New York State's toxic climate and this recent action will make the environment even worse. It is simply irresponsible to raise the minimum wage by over 65 percent.

The elected officials in Albany just don’t seem to get it. On Election Day when we walk through the doors and cast our collective votes for an elected official, we are giving them power. We are entrusting in them to do what is right and what is fair. The madness needs to stop.

PHOTO/contributed