opinion

Protesters and Don Quixotes fight to boost minimum wage

There are protests scheduled for Wednesday in Phoenix, Tempe and cities all over the country by hardworking people who are having a hard time living on their low wages.

There would be no need for this if Arizona lawmakers and others like them didn't work to ensure that the working poor stayed poor.

A group of determined folks from Flagstaff, along with a couple of Don Quixoite-types (with law degrees) are determined to stop them, and perhaps raise the state's minimum wage city by city.

The Capitol dome is larger and more formidable than your average windmill, but the members of the Flagstaff Living Wage Coalition and their attorneys are tilting at it anyway.

They disagree with the Arizona Legislature's desire to keep our most hardworking and economically struggling brothers and sisters as unprosperous as possible.

We all should disagree with that notion.

In fact, the vast majority of us do. Back in 2006 Arizona voters overwhelming passed Proposition 202, raising Arizona's minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.75. It was a good start. And it allowed for improvement. The proposition said that while basic wages in the state could not be lower, the Legislature, a county, a city or a town could enact a law providing for a higher minimum wage.

State lawmakers did not like the idea of other jurisdictions being able to raise the wage.

So they decided to stiff Arizona's working stiffs. They passed a law in 2013 saying that only the Legislature could raise the minimum wage.

The Flagstaff coalition, with the help of their lawyers, says they can't do that.

In a press release, attorneys Mik Jordahl of Flagstaff and Shawn Aiken of Phoenix laid out their reasoning. Jordahl said, "The Arizona constitution prohibits the state legislature from undoing or modifying the will of the voters without a super majority. The 2013 law (saying only the Legislature could raise the minimum wage) was an end run around the voters, and without that super majority required in both houses."

They're hoping a court will stand with them. In the meantime, there will be protests like the one today by groups organized under the "Fight for 15" movement, to increase base salaries to $15 per hour.

The current minimum wage in Arizona is $8.05 per hour. The Flagstaff coalition says it's nearly impossible for a working person to live on that income in their city. They want city officials to be able to change it.

Why is that a problem? Elected city officials know their town. Why not let them make the choice? If they act unwisely and set a minimum wage that is too high and frightens away business, they wouldn't win reelection. Besides, it's the town where they live. They have a vested interest, as well as a political interest, in doing the right thing.

But the legislature doesn't want to give up control. State lawmakers rail constantly about states' rights, telling the federal government, in essence, "You're not the boss of me." Then they turn around and tell counties and towns, "But we are the boss of you."

Attorney Shawn Aiken has tilted at windmills before. I've spoken to him previously about his work on a marriage equality lawsuit.

He's heard some negative responses to the work he's doing on behalf of working men and women. But like a proper Quixote he wears such comments like a badge of honor.

Or, as he said to me, "If enforcing the will of Arizona's voters amounts to socialism, then I stand guilty as charged -- and proud of the conviction."