More "Big Box" Nonsense

Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn is trying to solidify his membership in the exclusive Moochers Club.

In a move reminiscent of something that would be pursued by the antagonists in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged, Quinn wants the State of Illinois to compel "big box retailers" to pay their workers an amount in excess of the recently increased minimum wage in Illinois. An ordinance to this effect has already been passed by the Chicago City Council. It is almost assured that any law purposing to require one retailer to pay a higher wage than another retailer will bring about a challenge under the "equal protection" clause of the Constitution.

I'll tell you what Mr. Quinn, why don't you go out and invest your money to create a business that either produces a product or offers a service to consumers. Once you've created something of value, then you can take it upon yourself to pay your employees whatever wage you think is fair and offer them whatever benefits you think are just.

Wal-Mart and other "big box" retailers are producers in society. These stores provide jobs, wealth and affordable products for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. I'll never understand how someone who hasn't produced anything approaching the value of what a company like Wal-Mart has produced can think that they have a platform to dictate how Wal-Mart should compensate employees. Companies like Wal-Mart are far more indispensable and productive then these moralists will ever be.

Edit: Apparently this is part-and-parcel of a wider political gambit by Democrats.