Olguin: living wages for a stronger economy

Olguin "envisions a diverse and vibrant local economy that provides living wage employment for our citizens as well as a great place to retire," as he noted when queried by El Defensor Chieftain. This is a powerful statement by Olguin, and one of our primary reasons for endorsing him. A living wage measure in Socorro would benefit our community in many ways, much as it has done in other areas of the country such as Santa Fe. While some businesses have an irrational fear of living wage ordinances, it has been shown time and time again that these fears are unjustified. The idea of a living wage - just a fancy term for a reasonable, livable minimum wage (so that a person working full time can afford rent, clothes, food, and health care - i.e. the bare essentials of life) is sometimes viewed as controversial, but it need not be. This idea is actually not terribly radical, though some in the business community would like us to believe that if such ordinances are passed that the sky will fall, sounding much like Chicken Little. The evidence in community after community that has passed such measures is that the fears are not justified. Been to Santa Fe lately? It's doing just fine.

Remember good ole' Henry Ford?

The idea that workers could and should be paid a fair wage, not an exorbitant wage but a livable wage, can be traced back to the days of Henry Ford and the Model T automobile, if not further. Henry Ford decided that if he paid his assembly line workers a slightly better wage that they, too, would be able to afford to purchase his vehicles, thereby improving his business and helping the overall economy. And, in fact, it worked. Ford Motor Company thrived in its early days, after Ford enacted these measures. Similarly, for Socorro, if our workers are paid a slightly better and more livable wage, it will benefit the entire Socorro economy and act as an economic stimulus package, helping local business. After all, when workers have more money in their pockets they are going to spend more. This is a win-win.

Olguin well qualified

In addition to fresh ideas and new energy, Olguin has the education and experience for the job. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from UNM's Anderson School of Management. He's served the Socorro community as a teacher and as a coach. He has a passion for education and helping Socorro's youth to learn and become productive members of the community, stay off drugs, and grow and contribute as young adults. Olguin also has many strong ideas for jump-starting our local economy with assistance for small business. We encourage our readers to check out the article at the Chieftain; after reading it, we think you'll agree that Michael Olguin is the right choice for Ward 3.