Brunelle's Road To Damascus Moment? - Granite Grok

Brunelle’s Road To Damascus Moment?

Road%20To%20Damascus.jpgAfter four years of defending the democrat budgeting strategy of spend first tax later (during what any democrat worth his donkeys-ass referred to endlessly as the ‘worst recession in history’), NHDP executive director and NH House rep from Manchester Mike Brunelle shows us his new conservative streak.

“No matter who you are, Republican or Democrat, you were elected to work on the economy and jobs. I don’t think the people of Manchester want them to be dealing with these social issues,” said Brunelle. “We need to be focused on the working families in this state. … Anything other than that is beyond frivolous.”

It is all part of their new strategy, as I pointed out here yesterday…

These are the same people who in 2006 and 2008 were the social/political nihilists bent on remaking the landscape in their own image, but who upon relegation to a dark and meaningless corner of the political attic in 2010, have suddenly embraced…conservatism?  We are to believe they are now keepers of the status quo, defenders of a new ‘ancient’ tradition whose ink is not even dry.  And they are running from "change" as if the sound of the word burns their ears with a fire in desperate need of a pool of water to put it out.

From bathroom bill, ballooning budgets and balloon fines all the way to economy and jobs in one little election, and we are meant to wonder if Mr Brunelle has had a road to Damascus moment?  Not to worry.  He is no Paul of Tarsus.  He has the same laser like focus on "jobs and the economy" as the democrat majority before the Republican’s took over–destroy jobs and ruin the state economy.

Take 2011-H-0239-R for example.  Mr. Brunelle would like to raise the minimum wage.  But this is a hollow populist act with a real world consequence.  It reduces opportunities for unskilled or under-skilled workers seeking or trying to retain entry level positions.  It adds to the cost of goods and services.  And it increases joblessness, which is a cost borne by taxpayers through unemployment benefits and the loss of economic activity.

What does work is creating an environment where there are more jobs than people to fill them.  By attracting business you create the need for labor whose value increases as employers barter using increased wages to fill positions.  The result is a value for labor set by growth and need instead of an arbitrary mandate by some fool up in Concord.

And pay attention, because this is not just some bad idea proposed by another off-the-rack progressive.  It is also a calculated political ploy.  A poison pill.  Anyone who votes against an increase in the minimum wage on the floor of the House should expect that vote to show up on democrat mailers attacking them in 2012.

My suggestion is that if you can’t just table it, a subcommittee should spend some legitimate time studying the larger economic impact of meddling with the market driven cost of labor in our state.  Determine if the risk of job losses and fewer opportunities, or scaring off new business could ever be compensated for by any slight uptick in the minimum wage?  Then advertise that risk.

So Brunelle’s road to Damascus is paved with vapid populism and a political roadside bomb for good measure.  No conversions to sound economic principles is imminent, or even likley.  Just more of the same.

 

Quote Source: Beth LaMontagne Hall/ Union Leader

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