Gines 1
Noel Gines
Mrs. Silva
ENGL 1010
17 April 2018
Raise the Minimum Wage
The United States of America. When a person thinks of the USA, they think of bald
eagles, 50 stars, 13 stripes, and a free market. In a free market economy, business have the
freedom of choice. The business with the best plan and products or services will get the most
customers. It’s the American way right? Earn it and don’t expect nothing to be given. But
regulations are necessary. Businesses can be greedy and may not have the public welfare in
their concerns. That’s where the government steps in. Businesses can’t have complete
freedom. There has to be regulations to keep them in check. One of the ways the government
helps American workers is the minimum wage requirement. The problem with the minimum
wage is that it is set too low right now. It is not enough to be living off of. If the wage is
higher than the workers will benefit from it. The businesses will also profit and benefit from
this. Everyone will benefit including taxpayers. The minimum wage right now in the year
2018 is not enough to meet your basic needs of survive.
To begin with, the minimum wage is scarce and people right now are trying to live off
of it and they are struggling mightily. According to Lawrence Wittner, the author of “The
Minimum Wage Should Be Raised”, “A major consequence is that increasing numbers of
workers and their families live in poverty. The annual salary of a full-time American worker
employed at $7.25 per hour is $15,080 — less than the official federal government poverty
Gines 2
level for a family of two. The poverty level for a family of four is $23,550 — considerably
beyond what a minimum wage worker earns” (n.p.). These are adults trying to make a living.
Most of these people are living in what the government classifies as poverty. They are below
the poverty line meaning they don’t have enough money for necessities. Many of these
people hired for these jobs are not only trying to provide for themselves but also for their
families. For instance take rent as an example, rent can be expensive in certain areas. The
average cost to rent a home in the United States is $2,500. A one bedroom apartment can cost
up to $600. If the math is done, that means that someone who works minimum wage has to
work for two weeks without spending any money just to come up 20 dollars short to pay rent
for a one person apartment area. Imagine if that person had kids or a wife to support in a one
bedroom apartment. Plus that family would also need food, water, electricity, and other
necessities besides just a place to live. It is next to impossible to support yourself, let alone
