Minimum wage hikes

The federal minimum wage will increase to $6.55 (from the current $5.85) on July 1, 2008.

But some states are getting a head start and further increasing their minimum wages above the federally mandated minimum. Here are a few examples of where the states' minimum wage bars will be set as of January 1, 2008:

Montana - $6.25

Washington - $8.07

Florida - $6.79

Ohio - $7.00

(On a personal note: After moving to Manhattan, I'm even

more painfully aware of how woefully inadequate even our most progressive and substantial minimum wage levels are.)