Letter to the Editor from Assemblyman Michael Montesano on Wage Increase for Fast Food Workers

by Assemblyman Michael Montesano

LONG ISLAND, NY – Dear Editor, I find the recent ruling to increase the wages of fast food workers to $15 an hour to be rather troubling. The increase unfairly excludes those who are working other jobs that require higher skill sets but do not make enough to get by.

There are many deserving, skilled workers in the private sector who are struggling to make ends meet and afford the cost of living on Long Island and across the state. Residents on Long Island face some of the highest costs of living in New York. However, this initiative heavily favors New York City and does not offer the same helping hand to members of our community.

In order to help all hard-working Long Islanders, we should be implementing across-the-board tax cuts to help make our community a more affordable place to live. We should be looking for fair, long-term solutions that positively impact a large portion of deserving residents. The first step is to reduce taxes and eliminate the burdens that restrict the development and stability of businesses across the state.

Additionally, the way in which the governor and board took unilateral action is a breach of the legislative process and does not fully consider the functionality within the private sector. All New Yorkers should be concerned with the manner in which this wage increase was determined. The governor surpassed the legislative process and any opportunity for public input in order to move forward with his own personal agenda.

Sincerely,
Michael Montesano
Member of Assembly
15th District