Minimum Wage

When it comes to minimum wage there is a huge discrepancy, the a strong majority of Americans would prefer raising minimum wage because it would benefit them and their families. But there will always be the group of republicans working for the rich man and fighting the average Joe. I am part of the majority encouraging a raise in minimum wage. The cost of living is becoming too high for a $5.15 per hour minimum, also a raise in minimum wage may stimulate the economy, last but not least if minimum wage is not raised those earning below the poverty line begin to lose hope.

The cost of living is becoming much too high for the minimum wage worker. A single parent making minimum wage with two children would make only $10,700 a year which would put the struggling family $4,500 below the poverty line. This and any other single parent that would be working on minimum wage would also have to provide health insurance for herself and her children, food to put on the table, some sort of transportation, house and car insurance, clothing, mortgage or rent payments, along with other expenses. Any American knows everything these days costs money and it seems every time we turn around the prices are rising, putting even bigger holes in our pockets. Despite the fact that more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck, scrounging up pennies under the sofa seats to buy another gallon of gas to get to work government still has not made a change in the minimum wage.

Although a rise in minimum wage may force some small businesses to close and others to layoff it may also stimulate the economy. Those who would begin making more money would be able to buy more which would spring the country into an inflation period. When the country is experiencing prosperity unemployment lowers meaning people would be getting jobs back because more people would be consuming due to the increased amount of money they were brining home.

Those earning minimum wage have dreams too and its hard to shoot for the stars when you are unable to even pay your