It’s time members of the U.S. Congress dropped the old, tired and oft-proven-wrong view that increasing the minimum wage slows the economy. It only makes sense that those who earn more, spend more and raise the economy.

Putting money in the hands of those at the top, as the GOP likes to do, only makes the investor class more wealthy. As “W’s” dad said, it’s “Voodoo economics.” Giving to the wealthy so they can create more factories makes no sense if there’s nobody who can afford the goods they make.

To grow the economy, you must put money in the hands of the consumers, not the suppliers. What use is a supply with no demand due to inadequate wages?

I’ll never forget the woman in a TV interview who, when asked what she’d do with the first Bush tax cut, said “put it in the bank, after all, what can you buy with only $2,500?”

People like that don’t need a tax cut or wage increases, it’s just nice to have.

$2,500 is a lot of money to a lot of folks. Put it where it’s needed.

Raising wages is a good starting point.

M. David Shain, Jay