…………….that i don’t agree with the minimum wage increase we have here in IL???

Well, read this journal first, then back here for more info.

OK, so hopefully you read the article (or read it a second time). Now, yesterday, here in IL the minimum wage went up again from $7.50 -> $7.75 an hour. Before that increase, it was $6.50\hr. By 2010, it will be $8.25\hr.

Pretty much, i’m against it because minimum wage was suppose to be for high school people working after school for a car or college. It could also be used for college students working to help pay for college. It was not suppose to be a job where one could make a living (or somewhat of a living). This increase does two things: 1 – it helps the poor people who work these jobs get more money; and 2 – it hurts the middle-class people.

Let’s break this down: It helps the poor people who work these jobs. Yes, it does help somewhat, but in reality and the big picture, they will either break even or in the hole becuase to make more money something has to change. That change comes from the EMPLOYER, by doing a number of different things, which include, but not limited to: laying off people and making people work longer hours; raising prices on goods sold to consumers; or a combination of options. So, really they are not making more money. However most of the people don’t see it that way, they see it as i’m taking home more money, and that’s that.

Number Two – it hurts the middle class. When you raise the wage, it makes the people who are making a little more than minimum wage ($8.00 \hr- ?) that much closer to minimum wage and\or poverty level. So, if a person whose job requires a college degree only makes $8.00, and the temp worker is making $7.75\hr, what would your reaction be if you are the one who is making $8\hr. Would you feel like you need a raise to stay above the worker who is making minimum wage and does not have a college degree to do their job, but you as a full time worker need a college degree to perform your job duties?

When the wage goes up, everything else goes up except the wage of the middle class worker. The upper-class do not have to worry, becuase it doesn’t effect them, but we in the middle class are becoming closer and closer to poverty level because when the minimum wage goes up, everything goes up and we are the ones who suffer the most. In fact, there was an article in our local paper, and our governor made the comment: ” Thousands of workers struggle each day at work to provide for their families and will get help as the minimum wage rises.”

Those jobs were not meant to be FULL TIME JOBS. they were only meant to be part time job or a short-term job to be able to move on to a better life with a better-paying job. So, where does the increase stop? Apparently, in three years in will be over $8\hr (which was the amount i was paid for my first FULL TIME job, and my second FULL-TIME job). Will minimum wage be $10\hr or higher, only time will tell. I keep telling myself, soon i won’t even be able to eat fast food because it will be just as expensive or higher as what a decent sit-down restaurant is today.