Sir: I know many readers will regard me as an old geezer who doesn’t care about young people. Ditto with folk in Chatham trying to pay their bills which seem to be skyrocketing week by week.
Trust me. I understand. My wife and I are pensioners living on a fixed income. Like most other folks, we have to budget wisely.
And, although I don’t support many of our provincial Liberals’ policies (in fact I have never belonged to a political party), I am convinced they’re scrambling desperately to get votes when they go to the polls.
During my career in local newspapers, I met many small business owners. They were my friends. I got to know and understand some of their problems. Many people were unaware of the hours they had to put in to make a success of their business.
In what I believe to be a move to win votes in the next election, Premier Kathleen Wynne is now hitting small business owners, although she must know they’re the folk who create most of the jobs in our economy. She must also realize they depend upon the predictability of their marketing costs.
How can they handle a whopping hike in the minimum wage? I know it doesn’t seem so whopping to the average employee, but on Jan. 1, 2018, Ontario’s minimum wage will rise from $11.40 an hour to $14, followed by another $1 hike to $15 on Jan. 1, 2019.
Surely this will put more pressure on already beleaguered small business owners. To solve their problems, many of them will probably have to lay off staff or lock their doors and draw the blinds. And if they do manage to stay in business, our premier will be hiking employer costs by giving workers more mandatory vacation time and two new paid sick days.
I don’t believe Ontario taxpayers can afford this government.
Stephen J. Beecroft
Chatham
