Raising the Minimum

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Senator Edward Kennedy once described the minimum wage as “one of the best anti-poverty programs we have” (Dorn). Many people believe that raising the minimum wage will help stop the cycle of poverty, stimulate the economy, and decrease the amount of taxpayers’ money that goes toward benefits; however, the long term consequential effects on the economy and the poor outweigh the short term benefits.
The minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer is required by law to pay their workers. It was first implemented in 1938 by Franklin Roosevelt, and was one of his many relief programs, during the height of the Great Depression. The purpose of the minimum wage was specifically to help keep workers out of poverty and stimulate the economy (Sonn). Back then, the minimum wage was just a meager 25 cents, but it has continued to increase throughout the years to the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Michigan’s minimum wage is $7.40. According to Shirk, there are approximately 3.5 million minimum wage workers in the nation. At least 15% are African Americans, 19% are Hispanic, and 56% are Caucasian. Women make up two thirds of the workers. Eighty-eight percent are at least twenty years old; this is because most minimum wage workers are teens or young college students. Finally, 42% have at least some college education (Shirk).
The minimum wage is a highly debated issue in today’s politics. In this year’s State of the Union Address, President Obama announced an executive order requiring that all federal contractors and private contractors working under a government contract pay their employees at least $10.10 per hour, in effect raising the minimum wage without the approval of Congress. (Obama). This was met with outrage from ...

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...s of the Minimum Wage.” National Center for Policy
Analysis. National Center for Policy Analysis, 4 May, 2006. Web. 3 February 2014.
Nader, Ralph. “Time for a Raise .”Time for a Raise. Time for a Raise, 22 November, 2013. Web. 3 February 2014.
Obama, Barack. “State of the Union.” Washington D.C. 31 January 2014.
Shirk, James. “Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts Vulnerable Workers' Job Prospects Without
Reducing Poverty.” The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation, 25 July, 2006.
Web. 3 February 2014.
Sonn, Paul K. “ Minimum Wage Question and Answer.” Raise the Minimum Wage. Raise the
Minimum Wage. Web. 2 February 2014.
United States Department of Labor. Wage and Hour Division. Washington D.C. 2009. Web.
Yarrow, Andrew. “Andrew Yarrow: Raising Minimum Wage Would Benefit Everyone.” Sun
Sentinel. Sun Sentinel, 3 February 2014. Web. 2 February 2014.

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