Does Mary Poppins Want a Higher Minimum Wage Or Lower Taxes?
Mary Poppins is actually upset that her paycheck is too low after the government takes its cut.
A Funny or Die video released earlier this week stars Kristen Bell as an underpaid Mary Poppins singing about why the federal minimum wage is too low. Ostensibly, that's the message—raise the minimum wage—and it's what thousands of people watching the video on Facebook are hearing.
They should listen closely, though. Bell's Mary Poppins is actually upset that her paycheck is too low after the government takes its cut. Seriously:
"You get your paycheck and snap. Federal and state income tax, Medicare and Social Security? Why, you're living below the poverty line."
One way to address the problem of government gobbling up workers' paychecks would be to mandate that some earners (employers) must give more money to other earners (employees), indirectly covering the difference between the amount workers deserve and the amount they actually earn after the government pilfers their pockets. In other words, raise the minimum wage.
Another way to address the problem of government gobbling up workers' paychecks would be to not have government do that. In other words, reduce taxes and entitlement spending.
Maybe if the government didn't force Mary Poppins to cover its massive liabilities stemming from generous public employee compensation, for instance, she could afford to keep dancing with penguins.
