OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH
QUESTION 4
A review of ‘Unintended Consequences’; published by
The Maine Heritage Policy Center
Keith Draper
The disadvantages of increasing the minimum wage as a result of passing of Question 4 on the
2016 November ballot: What does this mean to the businesses and people of Maine?
1
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” But what if it did? What if more
and more people had greater incomes as if suddenly there was simply a greater amount of money to be
had? In the monetary system we live in today, many expect just that. Everyone is looking forward to that
next pay raise, added compensation, or new promotion. Am I accusing anyone of acting out-of–line? No,
of course not. Financial stability is a goal which many share, and one step in that direction for some may
be to earn more.
Maine officials recently passed a policy regarding Question 4 in the 2016 November ballot to
raise minimum wage. This proposal is set to increase what was the minimum wage of $7.50 per hour to
$12.00 per hour by 2020. This would also raise tipped workers’ pay from the $3.50 to $7.50 an hour.
There is also a wage index component which would automatically adjust minimum wage to the
