Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti discussed his proposed minimum wage hike on the KTLA 5 Morning Show on Tuesday.
Under Garcetti’s proposal, which he announced Monday, the minimum wage would go up from $9 to $13.25 an hour by 2017.
“We’re the least affordable city in the nation now for housing… more than 50 percent of their income goes to rent. Then you have to decide between medicines and clothes for your kids to school,” Garcetti said. “So we see this as stimulating the economy.”
But business leaders in the community argue that while the proposal would help some people, it could also cause others to lose their jobs or get their hours reduced as a result.
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President Gary Toebben also said small businesses would be hurt by the hike.
“This proposal is not a silver bullet for our economy, and it would certainly negatively impact small businesses and non-profits that operate under a very limited budget,” he said.
This story aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on Sept. 2, 2014.
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