N.Y. State Legislature debates proposal to raise minimum wage

TIMES INT'L

 

By North American Correspondent

 

The New York State Legislature is debating a proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50. The Democrats are strongly in favour of the bill but the Republicans are opposed to raising the minimum wage which has not gone up for some time now.

Advocates say raising the minimum wage will have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of working families throughout New York. They believe that during these difficult times, with the economy still recovering from the excesses of Wall Street and unaccountable banks, this was a chance to vote to help working families, build the economy and create jobs.

Advocates say raising the minimum wage will help working people make ends meet. Across the nation, but especially here in Queens, the cost of everything has gone up while wages remain stagnant. Rent, utilities, higher education, groceries and costs to use public transportation have increased while take-home pay has shrunk and jobs have become fewer.

Arguments against raising the minimum wage from conservative politicians and right-wing think-tanks – which generally center around the claim that increasing take home pay for low wage workers leads to fewer workers being hired – have been proven false time and time again.

Some believe that increasing the minimum wage means putting more money into the pockets of working people who spend more.

Advocates say New York should be a national leader in showing how government, business, and working families can emerge from despondent times, not just through top-down policies that privilege a few, but from grassroots community development driven initiatives.

Related posts