Ordinance unnecessary

There is no mandate in our Spokane City Charter requiring the City Council to act as a union boss on behalf of employees. The proposed earned sick and safe leave ordinance dictates who has to pay (all city employers), how much, how often and why (no reason if less than three consecutive days). Taxpayers will pay city officials to inform, investigate, defend, prosecute and enforce all the regulations in this new law. We’re talking major fines and/or loss of your business license.

First: It is none of big government’s business what benefits employers offer. Spokane is not Russia.

Second: Most employers (50 percent to 89 percent) are already doing this without the force of law.

Third: Employer surveys indicate that complying businesses frequently respond to paid sick leave laws by increasing prices, decreasing other employee benefits and hours, and limiting expansion.

Right-to-work, non-unionized businesses will be fighting City Hall. So which party is pushing this mandate? The party that unions pay for —Democrat-minded officials — aka our new City Council majority. Now, isn’t that a coincidence?

Please drop this burdensome government regulation. Minimum wage laws will be next. These are state level issues.

Penny Lancaster

Spokane