Everywhere I turn, restaurants have “help wanted” signs, limited hours and many are closing altogether. And don’t even get me started about all the Rite Aids closing in Michigan.
I went to my pharmacy, Walgreens, the other day and instead of the usual one or two clients ahead of me, there were six. And the prescriptions they are filling no longer fit in their bins. The pharmacists who work there are overworked and stressed with all of the new prescriptions from closed Rite Aids coming their way and dealing with transfer issues from one place to another.
No doubt, patients are going to suffer because of this – not just from waiting in longer lines, but most likely prescriptions will be filled wrong as pharmacists rush to keep up with patient orders.
So while businesses are short staffed and stressed by inflationary costs and others are closing up right and left – and the Michigan business atmosphere is dismal – why not throw more gas onto that fire??
The $12 disaster.
That’s exactly what the Michigan Supreme Court did on Wednesday in their 4-3 opinion (Democrat- led of course) when they handed down a ruling that that’s set to heat up the economic stew with a hefty dollop of wage hikes in the state.
Starting February 2025, the state’s minimum wage will begin its ascent to $12 an hour, eventually pushing even tipped workers into the same pay pot – setting up a recipe for economic disaster.
For a more detailed report on the ruling, check out the Bridge Michigan article here.
Main course: slow-cooked business closures.
The Democrats have managed to slow-cook the closure of Michigan’s small businesses to perfection over the years starting with Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Covid closures. And now, with this minimum wage hike, many restaurants and cafes – already simmering on the brink – will finally be cooked to a crisp.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association warns that 40% of full-service restaurants are already unprofitable. Now, they’re predicting up to 60,000 jobs will be sautéed right off the menu.
Side dish: the sick leave sauce.
As if the wage hike wasn’t enough, the court has garnished this disaster with mandatory paid sick leave. Employers are now required to provide 72 hours of paid sick leave annually. It’s the perfect side dish to ensure businesses can’t stomach the financial hit.
Dessert: tipping the scales.
For the grand finale: the elimination of the tip credit. Starting in 2025, tipped workers will see their guaranteed wages rise incrementally until tips are just the cherry on top. But don’t worry, restaurant owners, will pass along that extra expense – and other expenses – to us of course!
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Until we stop paying. And stop paying we will.
I ordered a pizza from my favorite pizza joint the other day – an extra large pie with four toppings, plus a total of 40 boneless wings (I don’t like mine “hot” like my hubby does). It’s usually about $65 and worth the price as it is a meal that lasts for about three days. However, when I called in my order for the pizza and wings on Monday, they told it it was going to be over $80!
Sorry, my favorite pizza business friends, but I will find a new place to go – or buy Chef Boyardee and make my own. If the Democrats have decided they don’t like restaurants and want us all to eat at home, the Michigan Supreme Court is definitely doing their bidding on that one. For some reason, the Dems have had a “war” on restaurants in Michigan since 2020. Don’t ask me why.
Review: an existential blow.
Justin Winslow of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association serves up the harsh truth: this ruling is an “existential blow” to the industry. With nearly half of full-service restaurants already underwater, this wage hike is the final ingredient needed to sink them.
So, let’s raise a glass to Democrats for serving up another course of economic idiocy.
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