Wage issue.

Regarding Adam Summers' Oct. 2 op ed ("Miniumum Wage Hike Could Hurt Working Poor More Than Help") in which he argues that the recently approved increase in California's minimum wage is "sure to disappoint":

Mr. Summers' editorial against the minimum wage and the recent increase of it in California fails to analyze the issue economically or politically. His rhetorical complaint was pure sophistry that does not even rise to the minimal level expected of polemics.

Though some of Santa Monica's left chic establishment advocate a minimum "livable wage" of $13 per hour, it is not being taken any more seriously than Summers' $20 minimum. The role for demanding such superminimum wages more rightly belongs to the realm of collective bargaining and Summers' straw man argument confuses the minimal protective role of government with the promotional role of unions, professional organizations, headhunters, consultants and think tanks such as Summers' Reason Institute.

The obvious and real world reduction ad absurdum argument is the $2 per hour or even 50-cent per hour wage. There are employers ruthless enough to pay that poorly.

The anti-minimum wage argument that it costs jobs is also specious. By putting a little more money in a lot more pockets, the resulting spending puts money into circulation that results in job creation. That principle is as old as Henry Ford who wanted to pay his workers enough to buy one of the cars they manufactured. As an employer of 160 people, I want them to be able to buy some of the dietary supplements we manufacture, market, sell and ship.

Jarrow L. Rogovin

President and Chairman,

Jarrow Formulas Inc.

Los Angeles