Raising the Bar
Our commercial lives are often dictated by other people. "Oh I'm sorry sir; we're out of that," or "No, sir. We actually are all out of your size right now," are things that we hear on a daily basis. We tend to think nothing of it, because we were shopping for one thing. Whether it be that certain entrée at that chic little eatery downtown, or it be that pair of shoes you just needed to be one size bigger. While we might not thing of it as a big thing because we had our question answered, the fact remains, to have that question answered, someone had to spend their time taking stock, checking the kitchen, or in everyday jargon, they had to take time and work. Someone took the time to check the back. Someone took the time to let you know that we are currently out of something. That is the fact we tend to let go, is the fact that we were just helped by someone. "Oh they work here, their job is to help." That may be true, but one thing we as consumers tend to overlook is as that person as a person outside of work. Are they making enough? Can they afford their bills? What exactly do they go home to at night? We tend to remove the human element in business situations, not even considering what that person is making or if it's enough. Is minimum wage really something someone can live off of?
And the answer is no. No one can fiscally support themselves and a one bedroom home anywhere in America on a minimum wage job. It's just not possible. Not saying all consumer workers are paid a flat $7.25, but that does come standard. Ultimately the question to answer is, why? Why is minimum wage so low that these people either are forced to work multiple jobs to support not only them but family as well? Or for the younger generation, why do people need continued parent help after school? Why are we putting such a burden on our lower/lower-middle class families? If people are able to work, they should be able to support themselves on one job. People shouldn't have to break their back at one job, and then immediately have to go to the next. There are 28 million Americans currently being paid $7.25 an hour. Now that's not saying that there are that many Americans struggling, however, there are that many people currently being paid this wage that is not livable. Which I believe is 28 million too many. Working Americans should be offered a wage that they are able to live off of.
If minimum wage had been raised according to inflation, the current minimum wage would be set at almost eleven dollars an hour. Can you imagine how much more money people would have if they made almost an extra four dollars an hour? That's an extra thirty-two dollars a day on an average eight hour work shift, which is almost an extra 200 bucks a week. That can go a long way in families that need it. This could also eliminate a lot of government spending. If people are able to make more money, then they won't need some of these government programs that are put in place – IE welfare, or food stamps; which could, in turn, take burden off of the taxpayers.
There is a lot of opposition against the federal minimum wage, including people that state that it would hurt small-business operators. But that is simply not the case. If people generally have more money to spend, then they are going to go out more, and entail, spend more money at said establishments. It's a win-win for everyone. More money means happier workers, which means more productivity and more turnover for said business.
However, Republican opposition is the biggest challenge we face. Mitt Romney stated that "Americans should only be able to afford the education they can pay out of pocket." Now this may seem like a statement nowhere near related to minimum wage, however, higher education isn't something that most people can pull out the checkbook for. It's something that majority of people need to take out loans for, and after they graduate, repayment begins. The sad part is that most graduates don't get these high paying jobs straight out of the gate. They normally end up working minimum wage somewhere first – most entry positions are minimum wage. People can't afford these extra bills and expect to live. Especially at such a fragile time in someone's life; people are just getting their lives together, but then having another massive debt to try and pay off with an entry level salary. Republicans think that raising the minimum wage will hurt big business, but as stated earlier, it won't. It's genuinely something that needs to change, so people can have a decent life not just straight out of college, but in general as well.
This will definitely be a hot topic issue in the upcoming 2016 elections, if nothing about it has been done by then. There is no excuse for people to be scraping by, when the facts are there. The figures are there. Nothing has surfaced that proves raising the minimum wage would be nothing but beneficial to the American public. There is no reason for people to be working multiple jobs to support their families. They should be able to spend time at home with one job, and be able to enjoy time with the people they love the most.
Reposted from State Senator Curt Thompson's blog (D-5th). He resides in Tucker, GA and is Chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee. Make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. His website is www.makingyourvoicecount.com
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