Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) is one of the few members of the State Assembly with small-business experience, having run Sparkle Cleaners for over two decades. Using that experience and knowing the effect the proposal would have on employers in Western New York, DiPietro voted against legislation to increase the minimum wage.

“In a state notorious for difficulty in starting and operating small businesses, we plan on passing legislation that makes it more expensive for new and innovative businesses to open their doors. Small businesses cannot absorb this increase in the cost of doing business. We will see many small businesses in New York downsize and likely shut down,” DiPietro said.

“The wage hike is designed as though everyone working for minimum wage will receive a raise,” DiPietro said. “The worst thing we can do as a government is to judge our programs based on intent rather than results. Minimum wage hikes adversely affect the groups they seek to protect. Students looking for summer jobs will find their searches more difficult. They will be competing with a larger pool of applicants, and companies will find a way to do more with fewer employees. This bill is dangerous to the economic community and to taxpayers. Something that seems too good to be true usually is just that.”

The legislation, A.38-A, calls for an increase in the minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, tying it to the consumer price index (CPI) in future years. During previous discussions of raising the minimum wage to $8.50 per hour, studies showed a net loss in jobs for New York State. In a study performed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, it was estimated that 22,000 jobs would be lost over a 10-year period. In 2009, a study by scholars from American University and Cornell University estimated a wage increase to $8.25 per hour would result in 28,990 jobs lost in New York State.

For more information about DiPietro, please contact his district office at 585-786-0180. He can also be reached via e-mail at dipietrod@assembly.state.ny.us or find him on Facebook at Assemblyman David DiPietro.