Letter: Minimum wage not county’s business

A simple question: Why is it that the Linn County Board of Supervisors believes it has a responsibility to consider a county minimum wage when a simple resolution of support directed to the State of Iowa Legislature and Senate and likely to Congress and the U.S. Senate would suffice.

It would seem to me that the function of the county board of supervisors is to focus on the internal operations of the county, providing law enforcement, infrastructure enhancement and overall public good and services not available through private enterprise and setting policies for county administration to implement.

Will an increase in county minimum wage produce one or how many new jobs? We have a free education system in this country. Opportunity abounds for those who wish to progress with limitless protections through the Americans with Disabilities Act, equal opportunity acts, on-the-job training and multiples of other programs. I've been a compassionate person/business man for more than 50 years: Progression in earnings comes from contribution, motivation, attendance, skill, attitude enhancement and company profits - not government mandated salaries. Which of the above noted employee attributes do you guarantee will change as you consider mandating business to endure unfunded mandates by county legislation? Is this the work you were elected to do? Do you forget that workers' compensation costs, Social Security costs, vacation reserves and other expenses all are derived from wage rates?

O.H. Buzz Hagen

Marion