To the editor:

Support of a living wage ordinance is a vote for mediocrity and dependency. The individual recipients will always be at the mercy of the next index in wages. They will never be able to earn merit wage increases without marketable skills. Proponents claim families cannot live on minimum wage jobs, and if we are going to give enticements to companies to come to Lawrence, then let’s give our lowest skilled workers a higher minimum (living) wage.

Minimum wage jobs are only intended for entry level positions, not families. Every community needs all types of jobs with all levels of salary to allow its work force to be able to grow in experience, skills and compensation while staying in the community. This is how a community and its work force grow. If a worker is lacking in marketable job skills, then they are doomed to minimum (living) compensation.

Companies are enticed into communities like exceptional employees are enticed to hiring companies. The city realizes a benefit having the company in town, the hiring company realizes a benefit having skilled employees. Why put a wage restriction on a company we are trying to recruit to our town?

I believe the living wage proponents should be working to improve recruitment of companies which allow worker growth opportunities from entry levels and up. Not encouraging impediments by artificially punishing Lawrence as a community and businesses who find Lawrence attractive.

David Reynolds,

Lawrence