Picking From The Money TreeOpponents and supporters of the minimum wage initiative participated in a Denver Post debate forum Thursday night, which served as a reminder that the biggest accomplishment of the Obama administration is that most of us are now doing the jobs of three or four people for less money.

If Amendment 70 passes, the result would be even more layoffs and job cuts, meaning minimum wage workers will be doing the jobs of five or six people for a handful of additional dollars, or have no job at all.

Tyler Sandberg with Keep Colorado Working says passage would result in the loss of 90,000 jobs, while supporters lamely argued that those left standing would be making more money.

Front line staff at fast food restaurants would likely be replaced with touch screens and credit card machines. Waiters and waitresses who depend on tips will instead become reliant on their salary as patrons balk at leaving even more money on the table.

Turning our salary requirements over to a popular vote is a bad idea and a tricky precedent. It may seem like a warm and fuzzy idea to many voters, but once they think it through, we’re hopeful that the free market economy will win this one, and folks can keep their jobs with salary increases based on their own merits.