Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego Democrat who authored a landmark labor law (Assembly Bill 5), apparently is one of the most intelligent people in the state. Her colleagues who voted for that law, and the governor who signed it, have boundless knowledge, as well. The same holds true for the California Supreme Court justices who authored the decision that’s at the foundation of the law and for the regulators who will enforce it.
I used to believe that individuals knew the best way to pursue their professions and arrange their family schedules and lives. I might not be as bright as these policymakers, but I have found that working a full-time job and supplementing it with freelance writing is the most efficient use of my time and limited skills. My wife believes — based on 30 years of experience as a librarian — that assembling some part-time and contracting gigs works best for her. But what do we know?
By contrast, Gonzalez, despite her limited background as a union organizer and politician, seems better versed in journalism, librarianship, and even our personal family situation than we are. In fact, she has better insight than hundreds of thousands of other Californians — in professions including trucking, rabbinical work, exotic dancing, and delivery driving — about the complex and imperfect choices and tradeoffs that they all face in this world.
It’s amazing, really. As I’ve described for The American Spectator, AB 5 forbids many companies from hiring contractors even though such relationships are the result of voluntary arrangements. We’re all accustomed to paying higher taxes than other places, filling out more paperwork, and following more rules. But this new law outlaws the kind of work that more than 8 percent of the state’s workforce relies upon to pay their bills.
[…]
See Also:
(1) As Rents Outrun Pay, California Families Live on a Knife’s Edge
(2) Health care costs for California workers are growing far faster than incomes
(3) California boycotts Trump-aligned automakers in escalating emissions fight
