Obama's Economic War on Women

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Ludwig von Mises Institute :

 

 

Obama's Economic War on Women

 

Mises Daily:Tuesday, November 27, 2012 by Gregory Cummings

 

With the re-election of President Barack Obama, it is increasingly evident that the tax eaters outnumber the taxpayers in America. From food stamps to free cell phones, President Obama has achieved significant political success by putting more and more Americans on the government dole. During his recent re-election bid, this effort included considerable pandering to women voters.

Chief among his focus on women's issues is the so-called equal-pay-for-equal-work campaign. In a speech for the campaign, President Obama said,

 

The very first bill I signed into law as president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. It was a big step toward making sure every worker in this country, man or woman, receives equal pay for equal work.

 

While it is true that a wage gap between the sexes does exist, common sense and empirical evidence demonstrate that this difference is due to the various individual choices that men and women make with regard to compensation and labor-force participation. It is not caused by sexist employer discrimination.

 

However, the lack of need has never compelled government to stop passing laws. In the same speech, the president goes on to say, "Thanks to this law, we're one step closer to fair pay for all Americans, but there's still more work to do."

 

No, there isn't it. Instead of correcting an alleged injustice, additional equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation will only institutionalize wage controls, which neuter the market allocation of resources. Tragically, women, the targeted beneficiary of this supposed government beneficence, will become the primary casualty in the resulting chaos.