Yes, with one of the worst economic climates in the country, Oregon's doing the only logical thing: increasing the minimum wage to $9.10 an hour, second highest in the nation. Keep jacking it up, and watch companies increase automation. Down the road, nobody's going to pay someone $20 an hour to flip burgers or sweep floors; those processes will be automated. Automation's already coming to the agricultural industry, even for sensitive crops like strawberries. Expect to see a lot more, across a whole range of enterprises, as minimum wages continue their meteoric rise.
Smokers'll be paying more come January, as well, as the state tax jumps up by another 15 cents or so per typical pack of 20 cigarettes. It's hard to imagine why they're so reviled, as smokers already pay over $2 in state and federal taxes every time they purchase a pack. So they're paying more than their fair share, even as they're increasingly restricted and villified. Hell, they get to pay 50% more for health insurance, even though as a whole they cost less because they tend to die sooner. Go figure.
And a new firewood regulation takes effect, as well! For the past few years, it's been illegal to transport firewood for campfires from outside of the local area (though nobody figured out how to enforce that). Now, it's going to be illegal to have firewood that isn't "local" anywhere in the state - unless it's been heated to 140 degrees for an hour to kill any potential insects.
Concern about shipping pests began in 2010 after the Agriculture Department bought firewood from stores across Oregon.
The wood had originated in at least six states, as well as Canada and Mexico. It was stored -- and then the bugs that emerged were identified. But none were the invasive species targeted by the state.
None of the bugs were harmful, but we need a new law just in case. Question: do people who buy firewood in grocery stores store it for long periods of time outdoors, or do they pay $5 for half a dozen pieces because they intend to stick them into their stove or fireplace and burn 'em?
Ancillary question: does this seem like another unneeded law?
