NJ Printer Tackles Minimum Wage Issue on MSNBC
MOORESTOWN, NJ—Joe Olivo wonders if Congress really understands the plight of today's small business owner. The head honcho of Perfect Printing, based here, took to the airwaves last Sunday to give his viewpoint on state and federal proposals that would raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.
Olivo appeared on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry show, a news and opinion program, where he debated Congressman Jesse Jackson, sponsor of the legislation, according to the Burlington County Times. A member of the National Federation of Independent Business, which advocates for small and independent enterprises, Olivo pointed out that state and federal government already imposes burdensome costs, a disadvantage when competing for international business against firms from Mexico and Canada.
"I'm bidding against foreign companies that don't have nearly the same regulatory expenses that I have to absorb," Olivo told the newspaper. "A higher minimum wage will guarantee that my competitors get more work and it makes it more difficult for me to sustain my current payroll expenses."
Olivo stressed it was important to tell the small businessman's side of the story. A higher minimum wage would cause companies like his to seek a more efficient use of technology or equipment, as well as replace workers whose cause Jackson is seeking to help.
"That's my concern; it will actually do harm to my employees," Olivo told Harris-Perry.