General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Sorry... a $15 minimum wage is too high [View all]eniwetok
(1,629 posts)Here was my question
Second... who ever said the MW "originally set to keep one full time worker earning enough to support a wife and two kids above the poverty line" Let's see your credible source.
The original MW in 1938 was 25c... $520 a year... which translates into $4.19 an hour today.
The average income back in 1938 was $2116 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1660486/pdf/calwestmed00361-0070b.pdf
Neither of your sites prove your claim...
As I've repeatedly said, $15 may be fine for urban areas that have a higher cost of living, but if we're talking about a NATIONAL MW, then it has to make sense for even the depressed areas of the nation... and the owner of Joe's Garage in East Bumcake isn't going to hire a kid for $15 to sweep the floor and clean the toilets. The concept of a living wage sounds great but blinds advocates to the simple reality that there's no way to have one single "living wage" for the entire nation. If that kid living at home in East Bumcake gets that $15 it's all gravy. For a mom who's a waitress in San Francisco with a kid in daycare... that $15 doesn't cut it. And yet it's obvious something has to be done since that $7.25 is criminally low.