Five supporters of Burlington’s livable wage ordinance celebrated its successes and bemoaned its weaknesses during a Thursday evening forum at city hall sponsored by the Peace and Justice Center.
Two pioneering proponents of the 12-year-old ordinance — State Auditor Doug Hoffer and Vermont teachers’ union organizer Emma Mulvaney-Stanak — were joined by City Councilor Sharon Bushor (I-Ward 1) and by Dan Holtz, owner of a Waitsfield cookie company that sets pay rates for its workers according to the state’s separate (and lower) livable-wage formula. Nathan Suter, a Peace and Justice Center board member, moderated the discussion while also offering frequent comments of his own.
Absent from the event, which drew about 50 spectators, was anyone opposed to, or skeptical of, the livable-wage standard. Suter said that Benjy Adler, owner of a local restaurant that received a controversial exemption from the ordinance, had declined an invitation to take part. Executives of businesses outside the “social responsibility” circle had not been asked to attend, Suter added.
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I regret I voted for it after I decided to vote against it and now I still cannot make up mind which way I would vote if I can vote again. Way to much of this crap going on on the council.
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“I was a disgruntled employee wherever I worked.”
Maybe this says more about Mr. Holtz than it does about the so-called livable wage issue.
Apparently the only businesses who have to obey the livable wage law are the big bad corporations. If you have a scruffy beard and wear a stupid hat you can pay whatever you want. I fail to understand how the law was a hardship for Skinny Pancake, one of the crappiest restaurants in town, and it’s not for others.
Are you and the backers of a Livable Wage willing to pay more for your food so that we small family farmers can earn this much? Much appreciated.
Burlington allows essentially NO development, so the housing demand outstrips supply and housing costs are exorbitant. And the only supermarket it allows is a snobby, high priced specialty market for the wine and cheese crowd. This makes housing and food very costly. This is not rocket science. The reaction of the Lefties in Burlington to the high cost of living is to get all holier than thou and pass a “livable wage” ordinance. The supposed basis for the livable wage requirement is because the cost of living is so high in Burlington. But do the livable wage proponents even know whether the employees who staff the livable wage establishments even live in Burlington? I bet a large percentage, if not most of them, don’t. So why does a business whose employees live in Colchester, Milton, Bolton, or Fairfax have to pay the “livabale wage” amount when the high cost of living in Burlington isn’t an issue for their employees? And then the proponents get all angry when a restaurant at the airport — in South Burlington — gets an exemption from the ordinance. The whole thing seems rather stupid.