Socialism in one sentence.

Seattle is showing itself as San Francisco north. The issue of raising the minimum wage has been discussed by the powers that be in the Seattle City Council and their hostility to business will show as more companies say "By by". But I found this comment by the Council's open socialist (there are concealed ones on the council) interesting:

Seattle Waiters and Bartenders Make the Case Against a $15 Minimum Wage

Seattle’s push to become the first big U.S. city with a $15-an-hour minimum wage has hit a snag: opposition from waiters and bartenders.

Fearing a dip in their tip income, some are telling local politicians they’re just fine with the status quo. In Washington state, that means $9.32 an hour—plus tips that, for Seattle bartender Bridget Maloney, can add another $45 an hour on weekends. She’s hearing that customers may be stingier if the wage measure pushed by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray passes.

“People are talking about moving to a European system of tipping,” says Maloney, 28, meaning less automatic and not as generous. She has become a spokeswoman for a group called Tips Are Wages, appearing in the Seattle Times, KIRO Radio, and other local media to argue for a carve-out that keeps tipped workers at a lower minimum. “I have built a life around the current model of tipping,” she says.

The mayor missed his own deadline to produce a minimum-wage proposal last week, saying his advisers from business and labor are “stuck” over certain issues. Murray, a Democrat, was elected in November after pledging to raise the minimum to $15.

Restaurants have warned they might boost menu prices as much as 25 percent or force servers to share more of their tips with cooks, dishwashers, and other back-of-the-house staff. The average check at Staple & Fancy and eight other restaurants owned by Ethan Stowell, named a “Best New Chef All Star” by Food & Wine magazine, might go from $94 to $117, according to a presentation to the Seattle city council. Pagliacci Pizza, known for such specialties as the salmon primo, says it might remove the tip line from receipts.

Kshama Sawant, a socialist elected to the council on her own $15 pledge, calls those suggestions “fear mongering” and says people who cling to tips miss the point. “We don’t want any worker to be beholden to the mood of the customer on any given day,” she says...

Now I looked up Ms Sawant's bio on Wikipedia and she, of course, has not real experience in the private sector. She abandoned her studies of computer science and then studies economics. Now being a part-time professor in economics she had no real ideas about how an economy works. Case in point is that quote. She wants low/no skill employees to get skilled labor wages. In the case of a waiter or bartender, their are motivated to preform because of the potential for tips. Without this motivation, people will simple whatever is required. So performance will fall and people will simple vote with their feet, driving to restaurants/bars outside of the city where their business and money is appreciated.

I looked at Ms Sawant's web page and this is what she wants:

Fund Human Needs, Not Corporate Greed

Raise the minimum wage to $15/hr.
A Millionaire’s Tax to fund mass transit, education, and living-wage union jobs providing vital social services.
End corporate welfare. Tax freeloading corporations. Reduce the unfair tax burden on small businesses, homeowners & workers.
Unionize Amazon, Starbucks & low-paid service workers.
No layoffs or attacks on public sector unions!

Environmental Sanity

Put the brakes on the coal trains! Words are not enough – the council needs to pass an ordinance & organize mass protests to make Seattle coal-free.
End the traffic disaster. Dramatically expand public transit & bikeways so cars aren’t necessary to meet day-to-day transit needs.

Affordable Housing

We need rent control!
End homelessness in Seattle. Fully fund services for the disabled, veterans, seniors, & families in crisis.

Fight Police Brutality & Racism

Build a mass movement against police brutality & racial profiling. Create an elected civilian review board with full powers over the police. No SPD drones.
The council should campaign for immediate, unconditional citizenship rights for all undocumented immigrants. Enact a moratorium on Seattle deportations.

Quality Public Schools

Stop defunding public schools. Lower class sizes. Support Seattle teachers & students boycotting the MAP standardized test.
Empower students, parents, and teachers to democratically develop culturally relevant curriculum. Expand anti-bullying efforts & curriculum promoting LGBTQ equality, anti-racism, and anti-sexism.

I'll just mention one other issue she raises, rent control. You can see the other major city it works in so well. New York. There is such a great supply of apartments because of rent control, right? Well you make it difficult to make an honest dollar in housing their will be less of it. But I guess you slept through that part of econ.

Seattle, you will be the next California. I will say last business owner out turn out the lights but they will already be a blackout.