And they failed. Tax absorbers get generous pay and benefits and don’t PAY taxes. They ABSORB taxes. Massive numbers of non union Tax Payers work for peanuts. Pretty much tax exempt. Qualify for food stamps.
Until TPTB politicians face reality, and stop taking advice from big business leaders, the problems will grow. They need to create a standard wage. Just like the water company, electric company, etc have a standard “wage”.
It costs X amount to provide you with utilities and us a profit. Same thing with a single worker. It costs X amount for a studio apartment, a good used car, and food to eat, and a small profit, to provide you with my labor.
The earlier politicians PTB decades ago realized that, and the standard was equal to about $20/hr in todays money. After politicians started listening to special interests, they stopped letting standard wage keep up with cost of living inflation. Very counter productive.
The dumb argument was…If we raise the basic standard wage, we will lose jobs. Of course. Low wages enabled many weak and feeble businessmen stay in business, who should have been OUT of business, and not be competing with or under cutting other businesses.
And the tax PAYER provides food stamps etc to supplement the employer, so the employee can live and work.