Senator Lamar Alexander suggests that raising the minimum wage is not the answer for low income individuals. While it certainly might not comprise the only answer, it does address income inequality.
It always interests me that those who oppose such things as raising the minimum wage are among the wealthiest "representatives" serving in Washington. Neither Senator Alexander nor Senator Corker support raising the minimum wage. Senator Lamar Alexander is listed as having an approximate net worth of $11.6 million, while Senator Bob Corker's estimated net worth is somewhere between $22 million and $105 million.
I might not be the brightest light on the string, but somehow it just doesn't strike me that these two gentlemen are really in an economic position to relate to the plight of someone making $7.25 an hour.
Dr. G. Norman West
Sewanee
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With over 70 years of data on the effects of the minimum wage to consider the only argument for the minimum wage is the false income inequality argument. Every time the minimum wage has increased the poor are the ones who suffer through lost jobs and higher food, energy, shelter, and clothing cost.
What we really need is something similar to the system in South Korea. There is no minimum wage but they have a minimum stipend for all citizens for the government. The catch is that all who receive the stipend must have a job. (Using example numbers only) The individual may only make $0.25 (or 0.01 or $1.00) per hour but they are receiving an amount of the difference in what they earned and a ceiling stipend of $20,000 (or $30k or $40K) per year. After an individual passes the stipend ceiling they no longer receive the stipend as they no longer need it. This allows businesses to hire unskilled workers and train them, which is a great benefit for the company and the worker. This system has the great benefit of encouraging people to work leading them to become productive citizens. And yes, this system would be funded through taxes but it would replace the current systems that the non-productive are currently leeching off of at a U.S. nationwide average of over $50k per year.
Instead of the negative force on our nation's productivity and individual self worth we currently have; this system would make our nations helping hand to poor families a positive force for the good of the nation and especially the poorest among us. Teaching people that working to support themselves lifts everyone up.
Wesley Garner
Cowan, Tn.