An unlivable minimum
Check out this interesting article by Derrick Jackson on the national minimum wage. Here is a section which illustrates the cost of food in comparison to the minimum wage:
Even the most cursory comparisons betray how outrageous the minimum wage is. One hour of $5.85 minimum-wage work gets you just two gallons of gasoline. The fact that the affluent can mindlessly drop $5.85 for a lunch-time sandwich or a latte and muffin at
Half an hour for a 5-pound bag of white rice.
More than half an hour to afford a pound of butter.
More than half an hour for a loaf of white bread and a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter at $1.88.
More than half an hour for a 1.81-pound family-pack of pork chops.
45 minutes for a gallon of milk.
55 minutes for 1.52 pounds of beef chuck on sale.
A full hour to afford a nearly 5-pound family-pack of chicken drumsticks or thighs.
A full hour to afford a pound of fresh salmon.
A full hour to throw a 1-pound bag of frozen vegetables, a pound of fresh tomatoes, and a bag of carrots into the cart.
posted by Jill Williams at
8:55 AM
2 Comments:
John Edwards, the only Presidential candidate focused on Powerty issues is the only one focused on the Minimum Wage also. Here is what he says (Quoting from Alternet News - see the link on the bottom):
"You describe it as if it is some kind of strategic maneuver," said Mr. Edwards, turning around in his seat to face his questioner. "I'm not waiting for anybody else's position. I know what my own views are and I'm going to lead on it."
But he certainly wants to make sure everyone knows it.
During a CNN/YouTube debate of Democratic presidential candidates on the night of July 23, Mr. Edwards said, almost apropos of nothing, "I would challenge every Democrat on this stage today to commit to raising the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by the year 2012."
The line drew applause.
On Tuesday afternoon, after a campaign stop about global warming in McClellanville, he again raised the issue of raising the minimum wage. He told reporters that the "inside Washington" types on the debate stage had failed to respond to his call for an increase.
"So I'm challenging Senator Clinton and Senator Obama and all the other Democrats" to match him, he said.
AND SOME SAY $9.36 IS TOO MUCH!!!
http://www.alternet.org/stories/58414/
Where is the petition to raise the minimum skill level?
We just conducted a 9th grade basic math test 150 candidates and only 11 passed. Many college and tech school grads failed.
We need to raise the bar that is for sure!!!
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