When I was in high school my work-study teacher argued that the minimum wage must not be raised because if it was to be raised then one’s job expectations would need to be ramped up. If you had a job flipping burgers and got a raise one would have to a lot more work and expectations with their job. Such an understanding of the minimum wage is way outdated and needs to be thrown out.
It is not only high school students that are taking minimum-wage jobs. Many people who even have some college or have earned a B.A. are needing to take low paying jobs. This spring and summer months I needed to take low wage type of jobs to make ends meet. Things could be worse because Washington state has one of the highest minimum wages in the nation.
However, we do not need a minimum wage, rather we need a living wage. A living wage would be at least at $10 an hour or $12 an hour and be reflective of the cost of living. Studies have shown that the minimum wage is not keeping up with inflation or the cost of living. If we offer a living wage there would be more money in the economy because low-income folks spend all their money rather than invest it. The local economy would thus get a boost with at least raising the minimum wage. We can do better to help the poor.
Greg Wetzel
Everett
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