If you want to know what the rise of democratic socialism means, consider Sen. Bernie Sanders’ new Stop BEZOS Act.
The Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act, unveiled Wednesday, would tax large companies (like Jeff Bezos’ Amazon) to offset any public aid their employees get. Sanders says this would reimburse taxpayers for their costs and nudge fat-cat corporations to boost wages for low-paid workers.
“The taxpayers of this country would no longer be subsidizing the wealthiest people in this country, who are paying their workers inadequate wages,” the senator huffs. He cites UC Berkeley Labor Center research that links $152.8 billion in federal aid for workers, via Food Stamps or other programs, to the low wages they receive.
All of which turns reality on its head. It’s not Amazon, Walmart or McDonald’s duty to help the poor, but society’s, or government’s. And these jobs reduce the need for government aid: Folks who get subsidies could get them (or more) if they didn’t work for the companies.
Plus, the Berkeley research is grossly misleading: It includes part-timers and temps, not just permanent full-timers “forced” to rely on public assistance as a result of low pay.
If Sanders’ scheme became law, at least some employers would look to dodge the new taxes by shedding these low-paid workers, using robots and other automation instead. Those workers wouldn’t get higher pay, but no pay — leaving them more dependent on taxpayer-funded aid.
This idiocy is what passes for new thinking on the left.
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