Living wage ordinance a must

For almost two years, Utah Jobs with Justice has worked closely with Mayor Rocky Anderson's office to implement a living wage ordinance in Salt Lake City. Brady Snyder's article "S.L. mulls a living wage rule for bids" (Deseret Morning News, March 16) focused on one of five different factors that the mayor's office outlined as considerations for awarding city contracts, the preference for paying a "living wage." Snyder removes this factor from the context of the "Value-Based Procurement Program" proposal. He then quotes City Councilman Dave Buhler, who objects to the order as a "waste of taxpayer dollars." Does Councilman Buhler understand that workers are taxpayers?

Councilman Buhler wants to argue that a "free-market system" should not have to bear the burdens of livable wages. However, he fails to recognize that the cheapest product on the market rarely provides the most value. When individuals make major purchasing decisions, they usually consider additional factors to price, such as: how well the item functions, how long it will last and whether it has a guarantee. In fact, the market can only work when buyers and sellers can make informed decisions in their own self-interest. As a citizen of Salt Lake City, I want the City Council to make informed decisions when it spends my tax dollars. Clearly, Councilman Dave Buhler has been misinformed if he thinks encouraging companies to pay living wages is about "feel(ing) good" or making "some sort of social statement."

If the Value-Based Procurement Program becomes an ordinance in Salt Lake, contractor bids will be judged with price remaining the primary criterion. The other criteria will help to evaluate only those bids that fall close to the lowest bid. Snyder's article focused on the criterion that asks whether or not the contractor provides employees with a livable wage. Councilman Buhler's objection to this order as a waste of taxpayer dollars exposes his ignorance about the program and the procurement process. The preference will cost the city next to nothing initially and will save a tremendous amount on other spending, adding value to city contracts.

The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University's School of Law conducted a survey of 20 cities that have had living wage laws for more than a year. The study, released last December, indicates that cities that enact such laws don't generally experience increased costs. However, Salt Lake does spend a lot of money dealing with the symptoms of poverty: crime, homelessness, substance abuse, broken families, etc. According to the Poverty in Utah 2003 report released by Utah Issues last week, 27.7 percent of Utah's population cannot afford basic necessities of daily living. Not to mention the foregone tax revenue; when you buy groceries, you pay taxes; when you pick up a food pantry box, you don't. How many jobs will the economy have to create if it takes four or five to support one family?