Latinos need jobs, not gimmicks

Even as there are signs that the economy is beginning to turn the corner for the better, the Hispanic community is lagging behind.

{mosads}Hispanics have a higher than the national average unemployment rate and many more are living below the poverty line. Most gut-wrenching, nearly a third of all Latino children are living in poverty.

The last eight years have failed to do much to ameliorate this situation despite well-intentioned government policies.

The incoming Trump administration has an opportunity to reverse this trend and work to ensure that Latinos are able to prosper and live out the American Dream.

But to do this, the president-elect and his Cabinet should avoid gimmicks and short-term fixes and work with Congress to craft well thought-out and meaningful public policies that will increase opportunity for all — including the Latino community.

An excellent place to start is reforming our country’s tax code. Tax reform may not seem like a Latino issue, but as much of the Latino population is in the workforce, it is imperative that lawmakers make it easier for businesses to start and grow.

This is particularly important in industries that employ Latinos including construction, retail and service, just to name a few. As the regulatory and tax burden eases on job creators, Latinos will see greater employment opportunities.

And with nearly 6 percent of Latinos looking for work, jobs are what our community most desperately needs.

But to do this, the president-elect should avoid gimmicks in the form of special carve-outs and loopholes to protect or help special interests and businesses. Instead, the next administration should push Congress to follow through on his campaign promise to reduce the corporate tax rate — one of the highest among prosperous economies.

What’s needed most in the business community is certainty after years of an Obama administration that sought to exert greater control through its regulatory powers in the form of overtime pay rules and mandates.

Trump has a chance to turn the page and restore some predictability and normalcy in the private sector.

Of course, Trump will face pressure from Democrats and progressives to grow the size of government and sign off on economic policies that sound good in theory, but are a disaster in practice.

A good example of this includes calls to raise the minimum wage. Among the groups calling for a minimum wage hike include some of the country’s leading Latino organizations that have convinced themselves that rather than looking to grow the economic pie, a better approach is to compel businesses to pay their employees more without factoring in important business considerations.

Not all Latino organizations are convinced that raising the minimum wage is the right approach. Some have found that the least educated are often the likeliest to face the brunt of job when employers are forced to pay a higher minimum wage.

And in some places like Seattle, that is playing out in real life. After raising the minimum wage well above the federal average, many Seattle-area restaurant jobs disappeared even as jobs in the same industry grew elsewhere in the state.

Seattle is a cautionary tale of what could happen in other places in an industry that employs many Latinos.

The Latino community is a hardworking one eager to live out the American Dream. But to do this, the Latino community needs bold leadership from our public elected officials, not pandering and short-term gimmicks.

Israel Ortega is a senior writer for Opportunity Lives, an online news publication. Follow him on Twitter @IzzyOrtega.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.