How Much an Hour?

In 2009 Haiti raised its minimum wage from 24 to 61 cents an hour. This increase was too much for Hanes and Levi Strauss, who employ about 25,000 Haitians. The companies were willing to go up to 31 cents an hour, but no higher. They were so upset at this incredibly high increase that they asked our State Department to intervene. The Haitian president was willing to concede a little, but the State Department felt that the new minimum “did not take economic reality into account” but was a populist measure aimed at appealing to “the unemployed and underpaid masses.”

Can you imagine yourself saying something like that? The proposed increase is truly chicken feed, yet our government - yours and mine - felt that the 'unemployed and underpaid masses'  should continue to starve.