Well that's a slogan that should stick.
Every politician should have to clearly state their position on this Campaign issue, as President Obama has just done:
Obama Calls for Minimum Wage Rise and Equal Pay as Elections Approach
by Emmarie Huetteman, NYTimes.com -- Sept 1, 2014
[...]
“There is no denying the simple truth: America deserves a raise,” he said [President Obama].
[...]
Countering arguments that raising the minimum wage would reduce jobs, Mr. Obama said states that had not waited for the federal government to raise their wages had seen more job growth than those that had not raised their wages.
[...]
“The bottom line is, America deserves a raise,” he said. “But until we’ve got a Congress that cares about raising working folks’ wages, it’s up to the rest of us to make it happen.”
And if you look at the historic U.S. minimum wage, with the 2013-inflation-adjusted dollars, it would appear the President has a very valid point. On that purchasing-power economic scale it would seem that American's bottom-tier {often entry-level} workers
peaked way back in 1968 -- and it has been downhill ever since ...
larger image
In 1968, the minimum wage was $1.60. That's $10.71 in 2013 dollars.
Minimum wage since 1938 -- [with the Interactive Chart, shown above.]
money.cnn.com
When the federal minimum wage first became law in 1938, it was 25 cents. Adjusted for inflation, that would be worth $4.13 today. Scroll over the chart to see historical minimum wage amounts, and their corresponding values in today’s dollars.
And since higher-waged worker often have their wages bench-marked to the minimum wage, this is a purchasing power issue
that effects all of us -- the 99% of us work-a-day wage-earners.
Well, in addition to talking about this issue, President Obama has also done something about it. He has exercised his Executive Power to give Federal Contract Employees that Raise, that he's been daring Congress to enact -- for Everybody!
Challenging them to enact a Minimum Wage Raise from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour, as he has done for federal workers:
For Immediate Release -- February 12, 2014
Executive Order -- Minimum Wage for Contractors
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM WAGE FOR CONTRACTORS
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, 40 U.S.C. 101 et seq., and in order to promote economy and efficiency in procurement by contracting with sources who adequately compensate their workers, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. This order seeks to increase efficiency and cost savings in the work performed by parties who contract with the Federal Government by increasing to $10.10 the hourly minimum wage paid by those contractors. Raising the pay of low-wage workers increases their morale and the productivity and quality of their work, lowers turnover and its accompanying costs, and reduces supervisory costs. These savings and quality improvements will lead to improved economy and efficiency in Government procurement.
Sec. 2. Establishing a minimum wage for Federal contractors and subcontractors. (a) Executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall, to the extent permitted by law, ensure that new contracts, [...] shall be at least:
(i) $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2015; and
(ii) beginning January 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, an amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary). The amount shall be published by the Secretary at least 90 days before such new minimum wage is to take effect [...]
A search for other 'worthwhile' Executive Orders can be done
here.
BEFORE you vote for someone this Fall -- find out where they stand on the issue of Raising the Minimum Wage.
Simple Question: Are they For or Against it -- Giving America a Raise?
Yes or No? ... and then cast Your Votes accordingly.