Free enterprise and affordable dining under relentless attack in California – Orange County Register

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a state where free enterprise reigns supreme and government doesn’t feel the need to interfere in every aspect of our lives?

Don’t the Democrats who run Sacramento realize that their hatred of free enterprise and constant attacks on business is what has turned California into such an expensive and undesirable place to live?

A $20 minimum wage for fast food workers is ridiculous and unfair on many levels. So now the person who prepares hamburgers at Jack-In-The-Box gets $20, while the person who does physical labor in a factory or warehouse, sorting packages or operating complex machinery, doesn’t. is only entitled to 16 dollars. That does not make any sense.

If they were truly committed to raising the minimum wage to $20, which may actually be their plan, it should have been widespread and applied equally to all workers.

People like Gavin Newsom are simply out of touch with reality. Maybe he’s too busy eating at the French Laundry to frequent his local McDonalds or Taco Bell. If he frequented these establishments, he would realize that people eat there for two reasons: the food is fast and the food is cheap. Once food is no longer fast and cheap, people don’t eat there, or don’t eat there as often.

Many franchise operators barely make a living. Many are not rich, far from it. Many are small business operators with only one or more locations. This new law could put some of them out of business. The most successful franchises will survive by raising prices, reducing working hours, or automating as much as possible.

I recently visited a McDonald’s where no employees were taking orders. You had to order your food and pay at a kiosk and were called when your food was ready. If you weren’t smart enough to operate the kiosk, you were out of luck until the manager came to help you. Automating some business functions may be an option for some of the largest and most successful franchisees, but may be too costly for the small operator who only owns one restaurant.

It is with a sense of nostalgia that I remember working in a fast food restaurant in the mid-1970s when I was a high school student. I started at $1.35 an hour, which was minimum wage at the time. During my tenure there, I got a few raises and ended up managing the evening shift. We were all teenagers and we had a great time. I learned the value of hard work and I learned how to save money. Of course, I was living at home with my parents at that time. I never considered this job as a career, it was simply a stepping stone to something better.

Michael Drayer is a Chino Hills resident.