Fact Checker Analysis - Ocasio-Cortez's misfired facts on living wage and minimum wage

By Glenn Kessler
January 24 at 3:00 AM

“I think it’s wrong that a vast majority of the country doesn’t make a living wage, I think it’s wrong that you can work 100 hours and not feed your kids. I think it’s wrong that corporations like Walmart and Amazon can get paid by the government, essentially experience a wealth transfer from the public, for paying people less than a minimum wage.”

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), in an interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates at Riverside Church, Jan. 21, 2019

-snip-

The Pinocchio Test

Ocasio-Cortez deserves credit for using her high profile to bring attention to income inequality. However, she undermines her message when she plays fast and loose with statistics. A lot of Americans do not earn enough for a living wage, but we cannot find evidence that it is the majority. Amazon and Walmart pay well above the minimum wage, contrary to her statement, and it is tendentious to claim those companies get some sort of a wealth transfer from the public when such benefits flow to all low-wage workers in many companies. Overall, she earns Three Pinocchios.

Three Pinocchios

Full article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/24/ocasio-cortezs-misfired-facts-living-wage-minimum-wage/?utm_term=.ddebfe6b10ca