It’s no secret that for the past several years, California – the nation’s most populous state and one with a very high cost of living – has been dealing with a tanking economy. It’s also no secret that when faced with such systemic problems, California Democrats consistently choose “solutions” geared more toward garnering votes than getting to the root of the issue. This is no better illustrated than the recent bill to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour by 2016. It will be the highest minimum wage in the country and well above the federally mandated $7.25 an hour.

No one is arguing that Californians don’t need to earn more than residents of other states; however, as Republicans point out, mandating $10 an hour will further hinder the economy, hurting small businesses and, in the long run, making it more difficult to find – and keep – minimum wage jobs. In other words, the people who the Democrats are claiming to help will once again be the hardest hit.
 Even Democrat Governor Jerry Brown was originally opposed to the bill, agreeing that it posted a risk to the state’s economic recovery. As Brown has historically been a champion of “progressive” measures, his concern is quite telling. But his rather anemic stance quickly disintegrated in the face of pressure from Nancy Pelosi and company, as well as the looming midterm elections in 2014. Yet somehow, we don’t have any doubt that, in spite of the damage they’re doing, Democrats will retain their strangle hold on the Golden State.