Help small businesses survive wage hikes

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become law, Nov. 22 The Ontario government is forging ahead with plans for a $15-per-hour minimum wage, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

However, small-business owners argue their added costs will be prohibitive. Many say they will be forced to hike prices, close their doors, lay off workers or reduce the hours of work for minimum-wage staff.

To help ease the sting, Finance Minister Charles Sousa has announced a tax cut for small businesses.

Pardon this question from a non-economist, but couldn’t the Wynne government simply allow small-business owners to deduct from their taxes the difference between what they pay in employee wages in 2017, pre-wage hike, and what they will pay in 2018, post-wagehike?

Minimum-wage workers would get that much-needed raise. Small-business owners would not be penalized and nor would consumers.

At the same time, more low-income people would have more disposable income. This would mean there would be increased economic activity and more tax revenue for the provincial coffers. Everybody would win. Ken Cuthbertson, Kingston

It’s amazing how many businesses claim raising the minimum wage will kill jobs. I thought lack of business killed jobs.

The business won’t go away, the customers will still be there and, since this is the law, all competitors are affected the same way.

However, a bit more money in the pockets of those minimum-wage employees means they can spend more, which in turn increases business.

Our business minds have been poisoned by the Reaganomics and Thatcherism of 30 years ago. Since then, we’ve seen a steady decline in the standard of living, while the wealthy take more and more.

It’s long past time to reverse that trend, by putting more money in the hands of those who need it. That way, we will see more jobs all around. James Knott, Mississauga