New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Statement

We, the undersigned business owners and executives, support raising New Yorks inadequate minimum wage to benefit business, workers and our economy. New Yorks minimum wage of $7.25 an hour amounts to just $15,080 for full-time, year-round work. It is too low for health aides, cashiers, childcare workers, restaurant workers, security guards and other minimum wage workers to make ends meet. New York lags behind 18 states including neighboring Connecticut and Vermont that have raised their minimum wages above $7.25. With far less buying power than it had four decades ago, todays minimum wage means poverty for working families and weakens the consumer demand at the heart of our economy. A higher minimum wage makes good business sense. It puts money in the hands of New Yorkers who will put it right back into local businesses, buying needed goods and services. Research shows that minimum wage increases boost consumer spending substantially more than tax cuts do. And increasing minimum wage reduces the strain on our social safety net caused by inadequate wages. Decent wages at the bottom benefit businesses beyond boosting consumer demand. Businesses see cost savings from lower employee turnover and reduced expenses associated with hiring and training new employees. Higher wages increase productivity and improve product quality, customer satisfaction and company reputation. Raising the minimum wage will not increase unemployment. The first federal minimum wage was enacted during the Great Depression to lift wages to alleviate poverty and increase the consumer purchasing power needed for job creation and economic recovery. Minimum wage increases play the same role today. The most rigorous studies of the impact of actual minimum wage increases show they do not cause job loss whether during periods of economic growth or during recessions. New Yorks minimum wage would be over $10 if it had kept up with the cost of living since 1970. A minimum wage increase is overdue. As business owners and executives, we support the proposed increase in New Yorks minimum wage to $8.50 an hour with inflation adjustment thereafter so that it does not fall further behind the cost of living. This makes good sense for our businesses, our workforce, our communities and our state.

Statement Signers
Mark Jaffe, CEO, Greater New York City Chamber of Commerce Jeff Long, Senior Vice President Northeast Region, Costco Wholesale Eileen Fisher, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, EILEEN FISHER Joe Meyer, President and CEO, HopStop.com, Inc Amy Chender, Chief Operating Officer, ABC Home Melanie Beam, Director of WSG.net and President of Capital District Local First

Sarah Bishop, Executive Director, Buffalo First! Chris Fowler, Executive Director, Syracuse First David Levine, CEO, American Sustainable Business Council Holly Sklar, Director, Business for Shared Prosperity Lou Gordon, Director, Business and Labor Coalition of New York City - BALCONY Roger Smith, President and CEO, American Income Life Insurance Rudy Arredondo, President, National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Green America Mike Lapham, Director, Responsible Wealth Stephen Abrams, CPA, New York City Elizabeth Ambrose, Owner, Bridges Cornell Heights, Ithaca Daniel Apfel, Exec. Director, Responsible Endowments Coalition, Brooklyn Joanne Bailey, Owner, Elite Green Cleaning, Rochester David Bolotsky, Founder and CEO, UncommonGoods, Brooklyn Jean Bonolo, PartyLite Consultant, PartyLite Consultant, Schenectady Maria Bortugno, Interior Designer/Owner, B Designs, Cohoes Nancy Boyd, President, Bright Wings Inc., Briarcliff Manor Mike Brady, President, Greyston Bakery, Inc, Yonkers Greg Correll, Owner, small packages, inc., New Paltz Alicia Cruz, Graphic Designer, Self-Employed, New York City Sean Cusack, President & CEO, Learnosaurus, Inc, New York City Lynn Decker, Owner, Progressive Bookkeeping Solutions LLC, Brooklyn Deborah Dietrich, Executive Director, OAR, Ithaca Andrew Dixon, Director, Anthology Resources Group, Ithaca Anselm Doering, President & CEO, Ecologic Solutions, Inc., Brooklyn
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Sheila Dunn, Owner, Sheila Dunn, Inc., Buffalo Laura Duquette, Vice President, 12 Grain Studio, Buffalo Makale Faber-Cullen, Owner, lore artisan goods co., llc, Brooklyn Marissa Feinberg, Co-Founder, Green Spaces, New York City Bradley Fox, President, Brad Built Computer Solutions, North Syracuse Zach Fried, Principal, Moosewood Consulting, Brooklyn Kamil Ghoshal, Founder, Philosophy in action, Yonkers Jack Goldman, Owner, The Bookery, Ithaca David Gould, President, Sunbeam Candles, inc, Ithaca Ajax Greene, Founder/CEO, On Belay Business Advisors Inc, Gardiner Catherine Gund, President/Senior Producer, Aubin Pictures, New York City Jean Gunner, Director, Buffalo Pediatric Associates, Buffalo Lloyd Hamilton, owner, Verdae, LLC, Rhinebeck Philip Heckler, Retired, Engineering, Hicksville Elizabeth Hirsch, Director, 14th Street Y Preschool, New York City Nancy Hoffmann, Owner, TomatoDesign.Net, New York City Jeffrey Hollender, Founder, Jeffrey Hollender Partners, New York City Barbara Humphrey, Research Development Coordinator, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse Heidi Jones, Partner, Allen Street Consulting, Buffalo Iva Kaufman, Principal, Iva Kaufman & Associates, New York City Karla Kavanaugh, Partner, Octagon Builders, East Chatham B Kavelman, President, Kavelman Group LLC, New York City Margaret Kinder, Clinical Psychologist, MBK Psychological Services, New York City L. Danielle Klock, CEO, Think Topography, Ithaca Joseph Korona, Owner, Korona Jewelry, Buffalo
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Ann LaGoy, owner, Sound Earth, LLC, Fishkill Dal LaMagna, President & CEO, IceStoneUSA, LLC, Brooklyn Tom Lapham, retired, Greenwich Steven Larson, Principal, Adelphi Paper Hangings, LLC, Sharon Springs Rob Lederer, President, Management Resources, New York City Karen Lee, Owner, ecokaren, Valhalla Indie Lee, Founder & CEO, Indie Lee & Co., South Salem Paul Lightfoot, Chief Executive Officer, BrightFarms, Inc, New York City Carrie Marcotte, Program Director, Starlight Studio and Art Gallery, Buffalo Santiago Masferrer, Founder, El Buen Amigo, Buffalo Kelly Maurer, Member, Buffalo Common Wealth, LLC, Buffalo William Mcintyre, Owner, Atomocom, Brooklyn Mandi Meidlinger, President/Founder, Jillian's Drawers, Ithaca Leon Miller-Out, President/CTO, Singlebrook Technology, Ithaca Gay Nicholson, President, Sustainable Tompkins, Ithaca Joseph Nolan, Owner, Home Green Home Inc., Ithaca Nancy Norton, Owner, Stone Quarry House, Ithaca Chet Opalka, President, Opalka Family Investment Partners, Averill Park Richard Ottinger, Dean Emeritus, Pace Law School, White Plains Mark Pruce, Owner, Designer, Developer, 8oz Studios, Millerton Maria Reidelbach, Creative Director, Corn Cow, Inc., Accord Peter Richards, President, Sounding Stone, Voorheesville Ed Rosenfeld, Principal, Foresight Advisors LLC, New York City Darius Ross, CEO, d ross interest llc, New York City Martin Rothenberg, President, PhD, Glottal Enterprises, Syracuse
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Emily Russell, Business Manager, The Frame Shop, Ithaca Heidi Russell, Founder & Manager, International Women Artists' Salon, New York City Joe Sanders, Insurance Broker, Joseph Sanders Agency Ltd, Rochester Jeffrey Scales, Managing Principal, JSA Financial Group, Rhinebeck Marc Schauber, CEO, Waffull Tech Systems LLC, Roslyn Cheryl Schneider, CEO, The Mac Works, Kingston Don Shaffer, JD, Donald Shaffer Associates, Great Neck Keith Sklar, Artist, KeithSklar.com, Brooklyn Daniel Smith, General Manager, Gamers, LLC, Troy Marjorie Smith, Owner, Law Office of Marjorie Smith, Piermont Robin Soto, Owner, Redmoon Caregivers, Ithaca Scott Tillitt, Founder, Antidote / BEAHIVE, Beacon Steve Viederman, Consultant, Viederman Consultants, New York City Roxanne Warren, Principal, RWA Architects, New York City Jonathon Welch, Co-Founder, Talking Leaves Books, Buffalo Joseph Wetmore, Owner, Autumn Leaves Used Books, Ithaca Charles Wittman, President, Architectural Fiberglass Corp., Copiague Tom Wojtusik, Partner, Four Lights, Ballston Spa Sheila-Zohara Zamor, Creator, Synergy, Buffalo ---Susan Spang, Susan E. Spang, Albany Thomas Holl, Holl Cove Inn, Watertown Dr Deborah Rinzler, Psychology Services, p.c., New York City David Maimin, Maimin Consulting Services, New York City James Murphy, Spivak Lipton LLP, Brooklyn
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Joanne Lyman, Joanne Lyman, New York City Robert Banov, Robert Banov Editorial Services, New York City Talia Braude, Braude Pankiewicz Architects, Brooklyn Colin Pearce, Production Holdings LLC, Astoria Christi De Larco, Christi De Larco, L.Ac., Brooklyn William Binckes, William Binckes - Attorney at Law, Rockaway Park John Beam, Pumphouse Projects, Brooklyn Joyll Cambridge, Humanist Exec LLC, New York City Stefane Anderson, Balance Point, New York City Alexandra Jacobus, Alexandra Jacobus, LCSW, Brooklyn Brad Walrod, Kenoza Type, Inc., Kenoza Lake Harry Schwartz, Harry Schwartz, New York City Wendy Van Buren, LifeWorks Empowerment Services, Purdys Bruce Krug, Krugvale Farm, Constableville Jill Marie, Independent Strategies, Spencer Jeremy Crytzer, J Crytzer Woodworking, Interlaken Diana Teta, Psychological Services, East Patchogue Michael Platsky, Physical Matters Transport, Saugerties Rodney Shannon, Rodney Shannon Agency, Brooklyn Lorraine Galbo, NCC, Bronx Jennifer Giuffre-Donohue, D&D Landscaping Services, Northport Dr. Garry D'Brant, Long Island Chiropractic, Glen Head Carol Robin, Dr. Carol Robin, West Shokan Julius Anderson, V&A Life Science Corporation, Brooklyn Linda Kleinhenz, EyeCareFor You, Wappingers Falls
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Daia Gerson, Cosmic Mirror, Accord Arthur Woolson, Pianoman, Fredonia Joseph Schneider, Dr. Joseph Schneider, Suffern Dennis Bellone, Achilles Arts Services, Brooklyn Lynn Johnson, Long Pond Cabins, Lake George Greg Sherrow, Safety & Success, LLC, Ithaca Andrienne Tazari, ALT-MT, Bronx Ann Bryan, Ann Krupp Designer Goldsmith, Saugerties Walter Kogut, AKA Construction, Brewerton Stacy Rauch, Sabao, New York City Mohamed Kattaria, Big Sasco Tools Rental Corp, Staten Island Harriet Culver, Culver Pictures Inc, New York City Jeffrey Jones, Rock Hard Media Group, Avoca Gerrie Blum, Adam & Gillian's Sensual Whips & Toys, Copiague Thomas O'Hara, Professional Mariners Insurance, Malverne Denise Rohlfs, DB Rohlfs, Centerport Micheline Coley, Radiance Unlimited, Massapequa Sara Culotta, Business is Blooming, Ithaca Sean Zigmund, Root 'N Roost Farm, Livingston Manor Jeremy Maxwell, Goods & Srvcs Design and Illustration, Buffalo John Keiser, Keiser Consulting, New York City Malin Tybahl, Malin Tybahl, Brooklyn Frederick Bays, Fred's Farm, Troupsburg Rebecca Sears, Sears Home, New York City Sharon Bahus, Michael R Weintraub, Inc., New York City
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Sarah McDougald Kohn, Sarah McDougald Kohn Studio, Brooklyn William Beckmann, Network Computing Associates, Ltd., Cross River Simon Burke-Lipiczky, Build Smart with Simon, Troy Jennifer Lindop, Lindop Carpentry, Malta William Barnett, WordCraft Editing & Writing Services, Ithaca Walter Putter, Walter Putter, Syracuse Elizabeth Henderson, Peacework Farm, Newark John R Williams, Jack's Christmas Trees, Red Creek Eli, Fuller Planted Earth Hydroponics, Brooktondale Patrick Rousseau, Iris MediaWorks, Brooklyn Jack McAuliffe, Engaged Audiences LLC, New York City Peter Bloch, WIFF, New York City Andrew Fitch, Fitch-Febvrel Gallery, Croton on Hudson Christopher Walling, CW, Inc, New York City Joseph Brany, Ernestneuman Studios, Brooklyn Gintas Janusonis, Janusonic Music, Brooklyn Paul Fitzpatrick, Somatique Massage and Wellness, Rome Stuart Anderson, AndersonBoatworks LLC, Otego Wesley Hannah, Second Wind CSA, Gardiner Albano Ballerini, Cucina Picena Inc., Brooklyn Monica Trombley, One Way or Another Productions LLC, New York City Jenny Matthau, Natural Gourmet Institute, New York City

http://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/New-York-Minimum-Wage-Statement