"May 3, 2005: In the last several weeks, I have received several calls requesting a clarification of my views on a "living wage."

The short answer is "I favor it." In fact, during my term on city council, I voted on three separate occasions to support living wage initiatives. First, I voted to raise all full-time city employees to “the living wage.” Next, I voted to raise all part-time employees to the same wage. Finally, I voted to increase the budgets of nonprofit agencies funded by the city to allow them to pay their employees a living wage. In addition, I supported a number of workforce initiatives designed to take citizens who were not earning what was defined as a living wage and train them for new positions that paid better wages in the biotech and hospitality sector. These initiatives were partnerships between the city, the University of Virginia, Piedmont Virginia Community College, and the private sector.

It is true that I cast one vote against forcing contractors with whom the city does business to pay all of their employees what was defined as a “living wage.” I did so for several reasons. First, there was a question about whether adopting such an ordinance violated state law and the so-called Dillon rule, which says that localities are only permitted to do certain things authorized by the General Assembly. Second, I was concerned that passing this ordinance would inhibit the city’s ability to contract with a wide variety of businesses, including minority and women-owned businesses. Third, I was concerned that the ordinance would actually assist fewer city residents than it would citizens who lived outside Charlottesville. Hence, the ordinance would then become a subsidy from city taxpayers to non-city residents.

We can, and should, raise wages in this area and in the Commonwealth. As a minimal first step, Congress needs to adopt a proposal that is presently before it, that is, to raise the national minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. If the nation will not do it, the Commonwealth should. This action would affect 150,000 Virginia residents, just under 5 percent of our labor force. We should also ensure that the Commonwealth of Virginia pays a living wage to its full- and part-time employees.

The state, which should be leading the way, cannot even provide information about how many of its employees do not earn a living wage. Ultimately, however, the public sector will not make the biggest difference on wages; it is in the private sector—and especially the small business sector -- where most job creation occurs, and a healthy private sector is the key to long term economic opportunity for the broadest cross-section of the public. Hence, we need to ensure we build communities where small businesses grow and prosper. And we must support an educational system that provides citizens with the tools they need to compete and succeed in the economy of the 21st century. -- David

David Toscano 2005, May 3, 2005

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