The Democrats' claim to be fighting poverty by raising the minimum wage is way off target. Among the poor, the problem is not so much one of low wages as of non-work -- call it the American Idle. The Census Bureau finds that 63.2 percent of individuals aged 16 or above living in poverty did not work at all in the year preceding the survey. Raising the minimum wage obviously does nothing for those who aren't working.
As for those who are, their prospects for employment may be narrowed by a rise in the minimum wage. Employers forced to choose between raising a marginal employee's salary and firing him or her may well choose the latter. Or the employer may reduce the number of entry-level positions available. This doesn't particularly hurt the college kid who is looking for extra pocket money, but it does hurt the unskilled worker looking to climb onto the lowest rung of the economic ladder.
So what should a well-intentioned politician do if he wants to improve the lot of the poor in America? Well, here's one thought: Encourage charities to give used cars to the poor. According to a survey noted by the National Center for Policy Analysis, having a car and some work experience increased the chances that a poor person would be self-sufficient by 94 percent. There are other intriguing ideas there as well -- far more exciting and potentially successful than the hoary old minimum wage hike.