raising minimum wage

974 Words2 Pages

Barrack Obama’s State of The Union Address of 2013 caused a controversy that is still a relevant debate topic. Live from the United States Capitol, Obama clarified his perception on the minimum wage in America. Obama insisted that minimum wage should be increased because it would be a means of social justice to many Americans. Many Americans live in poverty and Obama believes that raising the minimum wage would assist some Americans to remove oneself from living in poverty and assist the economy from disintegrating. After hearing Obama’s State of The Union Address of 2013 and reading many articles concerning the raising of minimum wage, I believe minimum wage should be raised because it would decrease poverty, keep individuals from under the table jobs, and cause a decrease in taxes. According to Gabrielle Karol’s article, “How Raising the Minimum Wage Would Help the Economy”, increasing the minimum wage would cause a decrease in poverty and debt for many families. An individual who works for minimum wage roughly earns 15, 080 dollars a year. Karol insists 15,080 dollars a year barley allows individuals to provide food and shelter for their families. Karol states, “A common definition states that the living wage should be high enough that no more than 30 % of take-home pay needs to be spent on housing.” With an increase in minimum wage, families who currently have one or more members earning minimum wage would be able to afford a car, afford medical insurance, pay utilities, and provide meals for their families; raising the minimum wage would allow families to afford the essentials in life (Karol). Not only would families be able to sustain a standard living, they would be able to pay off old bills and pay off the debt they have... ... middle of paper ... ...ning the minimum wage? There are so many individuals divided on the issue that we may not see a decision made for years. While proponents of raising the minimum wage believe that raising the minimum wage would be great for families and people in general, opponents believe that raising the minimum wage is not necessary because many people who earn minimum wage are high school students and it would be terrible for businesses. Also, opponents believe that it should not be raised due to inflation. If there is an agreement between opponents, proponents, and the government, there could be a universal agreement to raise the minimum wage. There already some states that have raised the minimum wage, and the government is most likely studying them to see if raising the minimum wage is best for individuals. But I believe time will tell what will happen with the minimum wage.

More about raising minimum wage

Open Document