As the Washington Policy Center (WPC) reported on the King County Council's lack of understanding of basic economic principles when the minimum wage was increased (with Dunn and Von Reichbauer opposed), the Everett City Council is now considering an equally damaging financial move by increasing the Everett minimum wage to $20.24.

King County, not deterred by California’s efforts to completely destroy the state’s economy by increasing the minimum wage to unrealistic levels, increased the minimum wage in the county to $20.29. Reports from California show significant price increases and businesses either leaving the state or closing up completely, all directly attributable to the increase in minimum wage. Despite this, King County has pushed ahead with an even larger increase and the results will likely match California’s.

Now the City of Everett is considering an equally damaging change.

The Everett Herald indicates local political action groups, including the county labor council are pushing for a minimum wage increase and are working for a ballot measure this fall and simultaneously asking the Everett Council to create a ‘Backup’ ordinance.

A minimum wage increase, as WPC and many other organizations have warned, will not result in more money in the workers pockets, but invariably will lead to layoffs, less available working hours and increases in consumer prices negating the increase for those workers who still have jobs.

Sometimes, instead of a salary bump, many workers instead find their work hours cut or their jobs eliminated completely. For some employees, if they fall below a minimum hour threshold required for benefits, they lose benefits too.

In the case of Rubio’s Coastal Grill in California, 48 restaurants are closing as a result of the $20 minimum wage increase. Here in Washington, Bellingham is heading the charge this year in raising its minimum wage to $17.28 and another $1 to $18.28 in 2025. Just as in California, Bellingham restaurants are going to raise the price of food.

There is no way around the effects of minimum wage increases – your favorite fast food, and many other things, are going to cost more, and in Washington and California, both states with high minimum wages, even higher prices.

As is the case with King County, the Everett City Council needs to consider carefully the long-term negative impacts increasing the minimum wage will have and not the ‘feel good policy’ effects in the short term on local workers.