birdwatcher: (Default)
birdwatcher ([personal profile] birdwatcher) wrote2006-09-12 02:10 pm

Ха!

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on Monday vetoed a "living wage" ordinance that would require large retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. to pay escalating hourly pay and benefits.

"I understand and share a desire to ensure that everyone who works in the city of Chicago earns a decent wage," Daley wrote in a letter to the city council, filed with the city clerk's office on Monday.

"But I do not believe that this ordinance, well-intentioned as it may be, would achieve that end," he added. "Rather, I believe it would drive jobs and businesses from our city, penalizing neighborhoods that need additional economic activity the most."

In a statement, Wal-Mart said Daley's veto "encourages desperately needed business investment and development in the city, with job opportunities and savings for those who need it most."