Analysis says wage hike would help 138,000 (Denver Post)

[Omaha Steve]

FULL story: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4257701



Analysis says wage hike would help 138,000
A Nov. 7 ballot initiative would raise the minimum from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour. Business owners call the numbers "misleading."
By Beth Potter
Denver Post Staff Writer

The Bell Policy Center said Tuesday that about 138,000 Colorado workers will get raises if voters pass an initiative to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour.

Bell, which describes itself as "progressive," said 73,000 workers in Colorado earn between $5.15 and $6.85 an hour. If voters passed the initiative, an additional 65,000 workers who make more than $6.85 would get raises as employers decide to adjust some lower salaries upward, said Wade Buchanan, president of Bell.

Bell's analysis was blasted by a business- backed group that opposes the initiative.

"It's clear that their numbers are wrong," said Jan Rigg, a spokeswoman for Respect Colorado's Constitution. "I don't know where they obtained their data, but their premise is very misleading."