Jesse Brown Demands Immediate Action to Close the “Inclusive Incentives” Minimum-Wage Loophole
I don’t do this often, but I’m sharing this with you all because I agree with Jesse on this topic. He has my support for City-County Council.
— clif
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jesse Brown for City-County Council District 13
(317) 370-7079
jesse@jesseforindy.com
http://jesseforindy.com
Jesse Brown for Council Campaign Demands Immediate Action to Close the “Inclusive Incentives” Minimum-Wage Loophole
[Indianapolis, IN] -- Jesse Brown, candidate for City-County Council District 13, calls upon City leadership to immediately close a loophole allowing employers to evade the $18 minimum wage for jobs created through publicly-financed tax incentives.
In 2019, the City began requiring that developers receiving property tax breaks pledge to create jobs that pay at least $18 an hour, the minimum wage necessary for a full-time employee living in Marion County to afford the bare necessities of daily living: rent, transportation, food, and childcare.
But this policy came with a major loophole. Companies receiving property tax breaks can easily avoid paying $18 an hour by subcontracting to companies that pay far less. As the IndyStar reported on February 16, 2023, this loophole has allowed hugely profitable corporations to pay their janitorial and security staff poverty wages while receiving millions of dollars in local tax breaks. Since this reporting, Democratic elected officials have used this loophole as a cudgel to shore up support among labor unions in anticipation of the May 2 Democratic primary election.
When City leadership allows the public to finance the creation of poverty-wage jobs, our community pays the price. In Indianapolis, renters face higher eviction rates than almost anywhere else in the country, with 1 in 14 renters being evicted from their homes between March 2020 and April 2022. Meanwhile, the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor has widened dramatically, with poor residents living an average of 17 years less than their affluent neighbors.
Living wages ought to be the floor, not the ceiling. But even under a Democratic mayor and super-majority Democratic Council, workers are being left behind. Subcontractor laborers, making as little as $8.50 an hour, cannot afford to wait until after the May 2023 primary to pay their rent. Council District 13 candidate Jesse Brown calls upon the City’s Democratic leadership to stop playing political games and act today to include all workers in the promise of the Inclusive Incentives program.
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Jesse Brown for City-County Council is an organization dedicated to electing Jesse Brown for Indianapolis Council District 13, a newly created Council district located on the eastside of Indianapolis.
For interviews, contact Jesse Brown at (317) 370-7079 or jesse@jesseforindy.com.