When I first lived in my own in the 1960s, I earned the minimum wage. I had no trouble paying my rent, buying my food, riding the subways and buses, and laving plenty left over for entertainment, in one of the most expensive cities in the US. Times sure have changed since then. If a man or a woman, goes out and works full time, for them to be unable to live on what they earn is criminal. It’s time to raise the minimum wage.
We already know that the minimum wage doesn’t pay enough to get a two-bedroom apartment in the vast majority of the country. Yet conservatives continue to push the same old lie: that raising the minimum wage causes unemployment. Now, a group of Democratic Congress members are trying to raise the issue:
If today’s minimum wage workers earned the same as their counterparts in 1968, they would receive $10 per hour. That, unfortunately, is $2.75 more than the current federal minimum wage.This would be a serious problem at any time, but it’s particularly relevant now, as the awful economy has forced millions of workers into minimum-wage jobs. (And they’re the lucky ones).
To that end, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has introduced the “Catching Up To 1968 Act of 2012.” Within sixty days of being enacted, it would raise the federal minimum wage to $10 per hour, and beginning one year after that, would index it to the Consumer Price Index. For workers that rely on tips, the bill would mandate the cash wage to be 70 percent of the minimum wage and never less than $5.50 per hour.
“We’ve bailed out banks, we’ve bailed out corporations, we’ve bailed out Wall Street, we’ve tried to create sound fundamentals in the economy—now it’s time to bail out working people who work hard every day and they still only make $7.25,” Jackson said this morning at a news conference outside the US Capitol. “The only way to do that is to raise the minimum wage.”
… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>
This video explains the problem and options in detail. It’s quite dry, almost to the point of rolling your eyes back, but it will give you a far better understanding.
On the Republican lie that raising the minimum will increase unemployment, consider Oregon. Our unemployment rate is 7.9%, below the national average, Our minimum wage is $8.80, one of the nation’s highest. It Republican claims were true, our unemployment rate should be much higher.
Of course Republicans object not only to raising the minimum wage, but also to the existence of the EITC. Instead, they propose that minimum wage earners receive a tax increase.
10 Responses to “Raise the Minimum Wage!”
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Let’s take the next logical step and call for a “living” wage, rather than a minimum wage; working people deserve better than being flat broke after purchasing necessities.
Excellent point!
Minimum wage rates are set by the individual provinces to reflect provincial conditions. When I started working in 1971, the BC minimum wage was $1.50/hr. or $3,120/yr based on a 40 hour work week. As a bank teller, I made $120 semi monthly or $3,120/yr. I lived with my parents and wanted to get an apartment on my own but the cheapest apartment was $250/mth. I couldn’t even pay the rent let alone eat, have a telephone, or use what transit was available. Another friend and I decided to look for an apartment, but even with sharing a one bedroom, which was less than desirous to both of us, we still couldn’t make it work. So home we both lived.
Today’s minimum wage in BC went up to $10.25 effective 01 May 2012 which equates to $21,320/yr based on a 40 hour week. If you are lucky enough to find an apartment for $800/mth, keep food to $500/mth, you can make it, but if you need to buy a car, things are really tight. And if you are a single parent with one child, you really have a problem. The problem with many jobs at the minimum wage is that they are parttime. Some have a guaranteed number of hours, others don’t. Parttime status really throws a money wrench into any budget.
Compared to the US minimum wage, this will sound high, but when you look at buying power, it is not high.
“We’ve bailed out banks, we’ve bailed out corporations, we’ve bailed out Wall Street, we’ve tried to create sound fundamentals in the economy—now it’s time to bail out working people who work hard every day and they still only make $7.25,” Jesse Jackson Jr
Jesse Jackson is so right. Also, if a worker has to wait until after filing his taxes to get the EITC and gets it all at once, that doesn’t help the person/family that needs it each month to survive. And getting that ‘cash’ once a year is too likely to be treated as a windfall as opposed to portioned out over the coming year to meet living expenses. Maybe some of these Republican/Teabaggers should try living on minimum wage for a month and see how far they get.
I know I have mentioned this before, but a BC politician tried living on the downtown east side of Vancouver for a month based on welfare rates. He had no access to any of his usual accoutrements — no car, cellphone, no clothing other than what he was wearing and a change of socks/underwear, no. . . you get the point. After 30 days, he’d lost roughly 30 pounds and had to sell his backpack to get a meal and bus fare home which is in Metro Vancouver. Let’s see Boehner, Cantor, Ryan or McConnell do that and report back. They couldn’t do it nor would they deign to do it because they have no understanding of nor caring for the average person past how they can screw them.
The Republican/Teabaggers don’t care about anyone other than the 1% and the corporations.
Vote Democrat in 2012!!!!! Vote Obama/Biden 2012!!!!!
Add to that that, unlike before Bush and the GOP trashed the economy, $1 Canadian is worth more than $1 US.
The RepublicanTs believe that the American people are not a worthwhile investment. They seem to forget, conveniently, that the workforce is the lifeblood of our economy.
They are trying to move to where all make money without making any stuff.
The minimum wage has been raised many times. The figures (facts) do not show a rise in unemployment any time the minimum wage was raised.
Very good point, Steve.
Earning just enough to pay your bills is apathy to settle for a form of Slavery…
And for most, minimum wage is not enough to pay one’s bills.