By: Ariana Moreno
Society deals with many issues politically and economically. Because of this, issues that are important to the average citizen are overseen. Instead, smaller and simple issues become of focus.
The debate as to whether or not the minimum wage should be increased or untouched has always been a vicious cycle throughout society regardless of the cost of living.
The minimum wage increased in Arizona to $10.00 per hour as of January 1, 2017.
I feel that this was an unreasonably high jump considering that the minimum wage was $8.05 in 2016.
The majority of the people within our society are below or at the poverty line, which is why many believed that the 2017 increase of the minimum wage was going to be beneficial. These people believe that increasing the minimum wage would put more money in their pocket, however that is not the case.
The increase was demanded by the poor (according to society´s standards) yet ¨In the previous federal minimum wage increase…..only fifteen percent of the workers who were expected to gain from it lived in poor households…” (Mark Wilson).
This raise to $10.00 per hour did not make a difference to many lives, including my own. It was supposed to make a difference to the people yet the only impact the $10.00 wage had was negatively damaging the workforce.
It was projected by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) that the increased wages ¨would shrink the California economy by $5.7 billion in the next 10 years and result in approximately 68,000 jobs being cut from the state….63 percent of the estimated 68,000 jobs lost would be from small businesses that could no longer afford to pay their employees¨ (ALEC).
Imagine if we increased the minimum wage even higher, what would that mean for us?
What about the living wage??
Living wage is a wage at which it is possible for a wage earner or individual and their family to live according to customary standards.
Yet this is a concept that has yet to be understood by many who advocated towards the rise in the wages.
When the living wage comes into play, it is meant to be a guideline for the cost of living. But many others will see this as the cost of living WITH entertainment.
There are individuals that mistake this as being a part of living wage when in reality having three X-Boxes is more important is not the idealistic living wage.
When the minimum wage is increased, the prices on everything increase. Consumers are actually surprised and angered by this yet majority pressed towards raising the minimum wage!
When our wages go up, prices will soon follow. There is no way out of this system.
I feel that no one really wins in the ¨battle¨ of increasing minimum wages. For some the minimum wage will never be enough, it is a constant domino effect that keeps on repeating over and over again.
Maybe one day society will be able to see past their avarice and understand how raising the minimum wage so highly can affect everyone.