Michelle Park: We can do better than Walmart wages if we elect TJ Cox

Last week Jeff Denham touted Walmart as “joining the list of employers who are contributing to our growing economy.” His post linked to a Bloomberg story tying the hourly raise and bonuses that Walmart announced – on the same day it announced it would close 63 Sam’s Club stores – to the recently passed “tax reform” legislation.

At the new rate of $11 an hour, a household breadwinner working 40 hours a week would earn about $22,000 a year. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $24,600. Kudos to Walmart for raising the bar to an almost livable wage.

In the meantime, it’s estimated Walmart could save as much as $2 billion in taxes this year under the new plan. Jim Walton is the 11th-wealthiest man in the United States, worth close to $39 billion; he got a big tax cut, too.

Who is really benefiting from this, again?

We need a proven job creator like TJ Cox who has invested over $65 million in projects that have created more than 1,500 jobs here in the Central Valley. TJ Cox will represent us in Congress and fight for the middle class.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Michelle Park: We can do better than Walmart wages if we elect TJ Cox."