To the editor,
On May 23, the Northbrook Board of Trustees, by a vote of 6-1, opted out of Cook County’s minimum wage ordinance.
While the vote was clear-cut, the sentiment expressed by a majority of the trustees was one of support for the ethical imperative at the heart of the ordinance, recognizing that it is not reasonable to expect those who work in our community to support themselves, let alone their families, on an annual salary of $17,000.
So why did our Northbrook board vote to opt out? Because as a village bordering Lake County, where the minimum wage ordinance would not apply, our businesses would have been at a competitive disadvantage to those of our neighbors. Thus, rather than addressing this issue on a village by village — or county by county — basis, Trustee A.C. Buehler called on the state to act on this matter. The state has responded.
This week, our representatives in Springfield passed a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage, putting this issue squarely on Gov. Rauner’s desk. As this bill “levels the playing field” for all Illinois businesses, I expect our Village Board to publicly proclaim their support, along with the 70 percent of Northbrook voters who called for a hike in the minimum wage in a non-binding referendum during the November 2014 election.
The Bible teaches that a society is measured by how it treats those who are most at risk. In ancient times, this group was identified as the stranger, the orphan and the widow. In our age, those who toil long hours for $17,000 a year are every bit as at risk as they were.
The governor needs to hear from all of us, and I look forward to seeing our Village Board lead the way.
Rabbi Sidney Helbraun
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Northbrook, IL