To the editor:
Food and fuel prices are soaring, eating into everyone's income and hurting the poor above all - and business professor Mark Hirschey considers this an opportune moment to "take a stand" against raising the minimum wage? (Journal-World, April 1) The housing crisis is forcing thousands of full-time workers out of their homes, and Hirschey calls supporters of a minimum wage hike "foolish"? (Journal-World, May 7)
Luckily, that kind of nay-saying did not prevent Congress from passing legislation in 2007 to raise the federal minimum wage in three phases: from $5.15 to $5.85 (last July), to $6.55 (this July), and ultimately to $7.25 (in 2009).
The positive effects of this legislation will be keenly felt in Kansas, where 240,000 workers - more than one in six from a workforce of 1.4 million - will get raises as a result. That money will be spent instantly and locally. That's why most states have minimum wage levels above the federal level - because they boost the economy, not the reverse.
Kansas has the lowest state minimum wage in the country: $2.65 an hour. That's shameful. Raising that wage is the only way to bring thousands of full-time workers and their families above the federal poverty line.
David Smith,
Lawrence
Comments
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kansas778 (anonymous) says…
Only 5,000 people in Kansas make the Federal minimum wage. The majority of people Smith includes in his 240,000 figure are people that make more than $7.25 right now, but they figure will get a raise because of a "spillover effect." http://www.epi.org/issueguides/minwag...
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
So $7.29 is a living wage?
SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
Mr. Smith,It is not the government's right to force employers to pay a wage that you want to receive. Don't like the wages offered by the marketplace? Then get the training and education necessary to earn more.Sigh.... I simply don't have time today to restate all the economic reasons why a minimum wage of $0.00 per hour helps the most low-wage workers.
Oracle_of_Rhode (anonymous) says…
SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says:It is not the government's right to force employers to pay a wage that you want to receive.::Actually, STRS, the Constitution banned slavery in the 19th century. You cannot be forced to work for no wage. Furthermore, the Supreme Court never has ruled against minimum wage laws. So again you're wrong: the gov't certainly has the right to force employers to pay a certain amount. Thanks for this letter. Let's raise the wage. People who work should be paid a living wage in the USA.
hs_reader (anonymous) says…
Oracle_of_Rhode (Anonymous) says: "Actually, STRS, the Constitution banned slavery in the 19th century. You cannot be forced to work for no wage."That's not what they meant and you know it. STRS is referring to the invisible hand (I assume) that contols the market, including employment. The gov't setting minimum wage laws doesn't let the invisible hand do it's job, and the negitive effects of that include unemployment. And I'm not even an opponent of the minimum wage (my current wage is below July's increase, though I fear my raise for next August will not be worth as much because of the min. wage raise), I'm just a high school senior taking an economics class at LHS. This letter was rather laughable to me, as it went against most of the principles of economics. Has everyone here even studied economics lately? Prices will most likely raise because of the minimum wage increase, has anyone taken that into account? Also, I don't believe that anyone get's paid the state minimum wage, so how is that number relevent? The number itself doesn't matter, stop spouting it.
SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
Oracle,You're either of low intelligence or intentionally misleading. Either one gets you a big zero in the "has something of value to contribute to the debate" category.
avoice (anonymous) says…
hs_reader:Now, if only you would pay as much attention in your English and grammar courses as you do in your economics course.
mancityfooty (Corey Williams) says…
"Don't like the wages offered by the marketplace? Then get the training and education necessary to earn more."Sigh...I just don't have the time to tell people they need to spend the time and money that they probably don't have to go back to school. But I'll still put this post up because I know I'm "setting the record straight"."The gov't setting minimum wage laws doesn't let the invisible hand do it's job..."The government bailing out airlines and Bear Stears is also impeding the invisible hand of "market forces".
booyalab (anonymous) says…
A huge chunk of the world's population is currently living on less than a "living wage". Just because some people have to spend a greater proportion of their income on food, and *gasp* not even USDA certified organic food, doesn't mean they're going to die. And if you want to suggest that a life without liberal "necessities" like hybrid cars and $8 milk is not worth living, then you're hopelessly elitist.