Kroger Co. will close two supermarkets in Southern California in response to a local ordinance requiring extra pay for certain grocery employees working during the pandemic.
The decision announced by the company Monday follows a unanimous vote last month by the Long Beach City Council mandating a 120-day increase of $4 an hour for employees of supermarkets with at least 300 employees nationwide and more than 15 in Long Beach.
Kroger said it will close a Ralphs market and a Food 4 Less on April 17.
Congratulations, Long Beach California!!! YOU are driving businesses away by mandating extra pay for no reason.
Look, I'm all for fairly compensating employees especially during times of economic strife and pandemic craziness. Life is hard as it is, and the Kung Flu is making it harder.
That said, it appears that the left will NEVER understand simple economics. They think money just appears out of nowhere; probably a side effect from the federal printing press that we run at full speed. These regulations that are intended to help end up disrupting the market in other ways and usually cause more damage than they prevent.