Richard Flamm
The Paw Print
The push for a raise of the federal minimum wage continues in Washington, as President Obama moves on Congress to increase the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 to $9 and link its growth to future inflation. The New York Times notes,”If enacted, the measure would boost the wages of about 15 million low-income workers, the White House estimated.”
President Obama made the case, “It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank, rent or eviction, scraping by or finally getting ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. In fact, working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while C.E.O. pay has never been higher.”
However, not everyone is as enthusiastic about the proposed reform. S.E. Cupp of CNN offers the differing opinion, “Where Democrats can’t get off so easy is on the news that raising the minimum wage will result in a loss of half a million jobs.” Dylan Matthews of the Washington Post notes that indeed, economists are divided on the issue of if raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment rates or not.
The L.A. Times reports that despite the possibility of jobs being lost, “about 900,000 people would be moved out of poverty.” Still, The Guardian comments on the conservative right’s position, noting that the motion “faces stiff opposition and has also been attacked by Republicans who claim it would kill job creation.”
The widening gap between rich and poor has been central in media focus recently, as increasing awareness of unequal wealth between rich and poor has been raised.
Given the growth of U.S. wealth, there has been disproportionate growth in relation to the actual earnings of its citizens. Inequality.org offers, “If our standard for minimum wages had kept pace with overall income growth in the American economy, it would now be $21.16 per hour.”
What’s Been Said…