I just finished reading The Leader-Herald’s editorial from “LaLa Land” about the proposed minimum wage increase. Your question – “What’s the point?” – showcases your lack of awareness.
For minimum wage to have the purchasing power it had when I started working, it would need to be nearly $11 an hour. So someone making $2 over minimum wage still doesn’t have a living wage. It has never been easy making it on minimum wage, but in the past a thrifty person could. And that was without food stamps, the Home Energy Assistance Program, Medicaid and the earned-income tax credit.
Running a business is not easy, but with a large portion of the population not earning enough money it is all the harder. I challenge you to make up a budget based on $7.25 an hour. Be sure to include expenses, getting to work and health care coverage. I’ve given this challenge to a few of my “right wing” friends and they were astounded.
In the “wide view,” the programs for those who earn a low income are really part of the corporate welfare scheme. “Mr. Businessman,” your choice is to either pay a living wage or pay taxes.
The people who keep track of these things say when we have snuck the minimum up a few cents a year after raising it, no one noticed. But usually we waited so long the size of the increase sent shockwaves through the economy.
When will you ever learn?
RICHARD H. GRIFFIN
Johnstown
