The controversy concerning a tip credit for restaurant servers brings the same old tired arguments from the two sides that wish to control everyone else’s lives. All the DFL candidates have come out for increasing the minimum wage, while GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer wants a tip credit to be applied to the server's minimum wage.
What gives the government or anyone else the power to dictate what two people can voluntarily agree to between themselves? Whether it is a business transaction between employee and employer, or it is a social/personal arrangement such as marriage, government simply has no authority to interfere. Well, unless you believe that individuals are subservient to the state, which is the case for both Democrats and Republicans. Democrat and Republican politicians argue over who to control and how much to control. But it is always about controlling someone.
Conveniently, both parties allow people to volunteer to work for free for certain organizations, especially the two big government parties. Why is this OK? After all, volunteers are making way less than minimum wage.
Jim Rongstad
Pine Island
