Make the evil smiley face pay

Short-sighted legislators like State Senator Ray Basham vilify Wal-Mart, while 25,000 residents in a nearby state apply for 325 jobs at a new store in Chicago. Our state’s unemployment rate leads the nation but this “leader” wants to “protect Michigan taxpayers from highly profitable companies.” Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out why corporations avoid our state.

Rather than propose laws assisting the labor unions who contribute to his campaign, Basham should take a basic economics course to learn about free markets and how they benefit workers. In this course, Basham would learn how a vibrant economy creates jobs and increases the demand for workers. As companies compete for qualified employees, compensation levels rise. Instead we get politicians accelerating our state’s race to the bottom.

[Letter to the Editor - The Detroit News. Published 03/07/2006]