One of the most troubling things about the current American economy is that the minimum wage no longer provides for a minimum standard of living out of poverty. The minimum wage needs to be raised, and by supporting a strong progressive candidate like Jon Hoadley, you are supporting a candidate who will be a strong advocate for a raise in the minimum wage.
It is unfair in this country that someone can work full time and still not have enough income to pay for basic necessities like feeding their family. Because the current minimum wage is so low, it causes working families to turn to government assistance to merely get by. By raising the minimum wage, more working families will earn a living wage, therefore reducing the amount of hidden corporate welfare--the subsidizing of worker’s benefits by government programs.
If fewer families are receiving assistance from the government because they earn a living wage through their job, the government can expand current programs or divert the funds previously spent on that assistance to other areas, such as education. When the education system is improved by increased investment, it will lead to students receiving a better education, teachers with adequately supplied classrooms, and
The minimum wage has not risen at a rate anywhere close to the rate of inflation. Goods and services are costing more and more for hard working Americans, therefore, these workers need to a livable wage to support to support their families. And isn’t it telling that in Michigan, the new campaign finance laws ties increases in the maximum contribution limit to inflation but not the minimum wage.
When the minimum wage is raised, this means Americans have more money to spend. The more money Americans earn, the more money they spend, therefore providing a stimulus for the economy.
The Michigan state legislature needs to follow the initiative started by local businesses, here in Kalamazoo. The restaurant Rustica recently made the decision to raise the wage of their non-tip workers to $10.10 an hours, $2.65 higher than the current minimum wage. On their Facebook page, Rustica strongly state why they took the initiative to raise their workers’ wages.
“We believe that paying our employees a reasonable living wage will help strengthen our community and keep Rustica strong,” Rustica’s Facebook page said.
This is part of a national trend among businesses to raise their minimum wage to $10.10. The trend comes after an executive order made by President Barack Obama to raise the minimum wage of federal contractors to $10.10.
To follow this trend towards a working, living wage for all Americans, the Michigan state legislature needs to take the initiative and raise the state minimum wage. With the current state of the Michigan state legislature, it is unlikely that there will be any new legislation helping these hard working families, any time soon.
One way, which you can help these hard working American families reach ends meet, is by supporting progressive candidates that will get the job done in Lansing, to raise the minimum wage. There are multiple proposals in Michigan right now that would raise the wage. I want to hear more about which solution is the best. Help us figure that out in the comments below.
The Michigan state legislature needs progressive voices to help push forward important issues, such as minimum wage, that our state so badly needs.
Join us to fight for a higher minimum wage by supporting Jon Hoadley today by liking our Facebook page and following us on Twitter. You can also learn more about the campaign on our website.
Click here to add your support for raising the minimum wage.
