Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
Minimum Wage Going Up, Not Enough
Minimum wage is set to go up again from $5.85 to $6.55. Its amazing to think that anyone in todays current economic climate could possibly make a living on $6,55 nevermind what it has been. It is supposed to get another bump up to $.7.25 an hour eventually in 2009.
I think the minimum wage is a joke. It is certainly not a living wage, which by definition is the amount it takes to support a family of four at the poverty line. In 2000 it was determined to be $17,690 a year. Who makes up these numbers?
I couldn't even imagine trying to make a living on that by myself much less having three other mouths to feed. So, its no secret that minimum wage has been lagging severely behind what the "living wage" is defined as.
If minimum wage were set to the living wage (and it should be) it would be in the $10-$15 per hour range. You can't argue that prices would go way up because of it either, it wouldn't be much more than what employers are paying now. Most fast food restaurants are paying well over minimum wage to workers and the prices are not being passed on to us.
When you consider that a lot of those minimum wage jobs also may not come with benefits like health insurance and other things that employers typically provide, it doesn't take much to realize why individuals in this country would rather go on welfare and let medicaid pay their way through. Medicaid and welfare pay that living wage at least plus they get food stamps.Raise the mimimum wage to where it needs to be and maybe as a whole you would have less people in this country taking the so called easy road. Either way, even those on welfare, don't have it that easy and I sure wouldn't want to trade my job for one that pays minimum wage.
So in closing, I leave you with a neat little video for the They Might Be Giants song Minimum Wage
you will never get it bboy..u just cant think
No I get it, I get that we are a country that believes that those who make minimum wage should not be allowed to make a Livable wage. That must be who we are as a society and for being the super power that we make ourselves out to be, thats sad that we can't pay those at the bottom of our pay scale a wage that they can at least feel comfortable in feeding themselves on.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.