Living Wage

Re “Wrong Tack on Wages,” Ventura County editorials, Nov. 21.

This editorial about the living wage in Ventura makes many of the same points The Times made in its Feb. 24, 1997, editorial concerning the Los Angeles living wage proposal.

The Los Angeles City Council passed its living wage ordinance on April 1, 1997. Do you know if a significant number of Los Angeles contractors raised prices, stopped doing business with the city or moved their businesses elsewhere, as you predicted? We do know that the living wage did not prevent the Los Angeles economy from prospering in the past 2 1/2 years.

You encouraged business, then and now, to create more good-paying jobs in the private sector. Good suggestion, but that does not help those mired in minimum-wage jobs.

You encouraged business, then and now, to step forward and mount a public service campaign to inform workers about the earned income tax credit. Good suggestion, but I don’t recall that happening in Los Angeles.

Perhaps The Times should take the lead in Ventura County by organizing the business community in an earned income tax credit public service campaign. In other words, take an active leadership role in our community beyond the editorial page.

A living wage is needed here even if the business community, including The Times, implements your suggestions.

MURRAY ROSENBLUTH

Port Hueneme