I don’t pretend to have an answer to the question: Should the minimum wage be increased?
But, I just read a telling article on Yahoo! Finance “Low-Wage Workers Finding It’s Easier to Fall Into Poverty, and Harder to Get Out.”
When the article was originally featured on the Yahoo! Finance homepage (earlier this morning) it included a picture of a young man under a sign reading “We can’t afford to live on $8.25/hour” as he is texting on his iPhone.
Within the article is a comment: “As for her daughter Jer’Maya, who mimics Beyoncé’s every move on her mother’s iPhone, Ms. McCurdy said, “She’d love to take ballet and piano lessons, but there’s no way I can afford that.” This, while at the welfare office getting a government hand-out to pay utility bills.
Poverty is a terribly unfortunate situation, especially in our land of abounding opportunities. But, we each have choices. If we can’t afford our basic utilities (heat and electricity) and ballet or piano lessons for our child it is time to kill the iPhone (and cable TV).
Perhaps the minimum wage should be raised.
In addition, as a country, we can do more (better) than handing out free money: We can teach people how to “raise the bridge” (earn a living and increase one’s income) AND “lower the water” (decrease expenses).
As individuals, we each can reach-out to provide guidance, encouragement and an example to those around us (friends, immediate family, relatives, fellow workers, church-goers, etc.) to take charge of their life so as to ensure we don’t further propagate this situation (of people assuming the government is their surrogate mother). It is OUR country and OUR future. We can’t expect the government to fix this…
And, for those less fortunate individuals in circumstances absolutely preventing them from working due to health issues, (mental or physical), etc. we can continue providing them the necessary assist.
Hoping you have a great Monday and that you reach out to someone – today…
Be Brave Not Safe 
If the government controls it (minimum wage), it is wrong. It screws up everything it touches.
You have summed up this topic nicely. I could go on for days about the whole “hand-up vs hand-out” debate! Too keep it short; about the whole iphone epidemic amongst lower income individuals…it’s ridiculous! If you can afford such luxuries, than you certainly don’t help with necessities! I am not willing to spend a weeks pay on a new fancy pancy cell phone, so I just found a great deal on one online, refurbished droid, like new for $20 (after purchasing a $45 monthly unlimited card).
Awesome Christina! So proud of you!
After reading my own post I noticed all my typing errors..oops..apparently my $20 phone does not have a big enough screen to type correctly with lol 😉
“If you can afford beer, cigarettes, new tattoos, [ an iphone ], and cable tv….. then you don’t need food-stamps or welfare.”
[…] to for the work we “previously performed.” It is our responsibility, not a company (or government, a previous post) to ensure our income remains stable and grows over […]