Amendment 70 Essay

The framers of our Constitution knew that time has a way of changing countries and their citizens. Our country was in a whirlwind of change in 1789 as people were experiencing freedom from the tyranny of England for the first time in their lives. Our country was being molded and formed into a great nation by the founding fathers. Expectations and rules had to be set to protect the rights of the minorities and majorities. Amendments to the Constitution were written to ensure equality for all in changing times.

The first federal minimum wage mandated by the government was in 1938. When the first minimum wage became law in 1938, it was set at just 25 cents. Today, the federal minimum wage mandated by the government is set at $7.25 an hour. “Many states have their own set minimum wages, which are currently above $7.25 per hour already. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. D.C. 's new wage of $10.50 an hour makes it the first jurisdiction to cross the $10 threshold among the states,” (Halvorson). The last time that the federal minimum wage mandated by the government was changed was over 8 years ago. “The last time Congress voted to raise the minimum wage to its current rate of $7.25 an hour was on May 24, 2007. Since then, the cost of life 's essentials has shot up. Groceries cost 20% more, a gallon of gas costs 25% more, and average tuition at a community college increased 44%. But the minimum wage remains at

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) compiled a comprehensive report in 2014 about the effects of a $9 and $10.10 increase to the federal minimum wage. The CBO reports that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour could likely lead to the destruction of 500,000 jobs

For many years, there has been an ongoing and strong debate in the United States on whether or not minimum wage should be raised from $7.25 an hour to over $10.00 an hour. Minimum wage is the lowest amount a company or employer can pay their employees. Many argue that the benefits of raising minimum wage surpass the negatives, yet many also disagree. But as a whole, the benefits of a higher minimum wage clearly outweigh the costs that come with it. Minimum wage should be raised because it would increase economic activity, reduce poverty levels, and allow for less government spending.

In a recent speech from President Obama he said he would like to see minimum wage be increased to $10.10 an hour by the end of his term as president in 2017. This increase would be a federal increase in which every state would have to follow and pay their workers a minimum of $10.10 an hour. This pay increase is meant to help people with lower paying jobs such as janitors, elderly, cooks, and anyone else you makes minimum wage. This will be very hard for many companies to achieve and will make them either go out of business or have to cut workers to make up the difference.

Have you ever thought about feeding a family and paying the necessary bills on $7.25 per hour? If you answer “no,” then think about this. With this type of salary you could not cover your rent in most parts of the United States, much less feed your family. In this day and time this feat cannot be achieved without raising the minimum wage. If our current government does not raise the minimum wage than a person earning minimum wage would need to work two or three jobs just to keep up with inflation.

The topic of increasing in the federal minimum wage has been hotly debated in Congress and between politicians and activists since the most recent increase to $7.25 in 2009. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 proposed a $10.10 federal minimum wage increase but failed in Congress, while a more recent proposition, the 2016 Raise The Wage Act, hopes to put wages at $12 per hour by the year 2020 (14). Propositions like these seek to allow lower-income working families to earn a living wage but they have faced resistance by conservatives. Stagnation of wages has caused various cities and states to spearhead minimum wage increases at a local level, with twenty-nine states now having wages higher than the federal minimum (13). Raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour would correct for years of deteriorating wage values and would pull hard-working families out of poverty while lessoning income inequality and boosting the economy from the bottom up with minimal costs to businesses.

$7.25 equals two gallons of gas, one fast food meal, or a simple school supply. With the minimum wage at the current rate you must work one hour to earn the seven dollars and twenty-five cents that only supply you with small necessities for everyday living. This problem was encountered before and was resolved with the agreement to higher the minimum wage from $5.85 to the current $7.25. Although that was a big increase in salaries, was it truly enough? This controversy can lead to a major change in everyone’s everyday lives and boost our economy to a period of prosperity. The minimum wage should be increased to bring our economy out of a recession, bring families together,

In a 2015 survey conducted by The New York Times and CBS News, 71% of people surveyed believed the minimum wage should be raised to $10.10 (Should The Federal). The minimum wage has been increased by congress 22 times since 1938 and was last updated to $7.25 on July 24, 2009 (Minimum Wage). 3.3% of workers in the United States get paid the minimum wage or lower (Background of). A federal minimum wage hike would lower poverty levels, decrease spending on government assistance, and increase productivity in jobs.

Additionally, many of these jobs are manual labor intensive, now just for a minute, ask yourself, are you willing to pay higher prices at the grocery store for beef, milk, and potatoes? Moreover, consumers love their potato chips, French fries, baked potato, boiled or mashed potatoes and according to the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation (2016), growers are earning a whopping $7.70 per hundredweight. This is dirt cheap, however, if the grower pays his workers more than minimum wage, consumers would eat less, when they see the price of potatoes increase in the stores as well as restaurants to cover the additional costs. Increasing the minimum wage will lead to greater issues when; those earning minimum wage is earning just as much as someone with a degree or those states who’s hourly wage starts attracting people from other states. Furthermore, as the states increase their hourly wage, they also need to contemplate the effect it will have on those who lose their occupations and receive unemployment. In our nation’s last recession, Friedman (2010) over 30 states borrowed from the federal government to pay out unemployment benefits to millions of

The debate over raising the minimum wage has been a hot topic ever since President Obama introduced the bill at the 2014 State of The Union Address. He intends to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, an increase of over 40%. While the President claims this idea to be beneficial to the economy, studies show otherwise.

Recreational Marijuana use is something very beneficiary for the economy. Amendment 64 is a prime example. Being passed in 2012, Amendment 64 has had an outstanding influence in the economy of Colorado. The Amendment has increased the state’s tax revenue, created numerous careers for people, and has made Colorado a must see tourist location for many.

The amendment increases minimum wage to $15/hr. California will implement annual increases starting on January 1, 2017 which will affect employers with 26 or more employees and the increase for employers with 25 or few employees will be delayed. The increases also might be delayed for other reasons such as “state general economic, or state budgetary, reasons” but can only be used twice during the phase-in period. The amendment also allows counties or cities to enact their own minimum wages, which could be higher than the state’s.

Minimum wage is now at a steady $7.25 per hour and shows no sign of increasing anytime soon. There are states right now at the time that are trying to raise the minimum wage, and see how this will effect the economy of the area.

Currently, the federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 per hour. (Alison Doyle). The debate is whether or not the minimum wage should be increased to $15 per hour. Larger states, such as California and New York, are preparing to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour in the coming years. (Kate Rogers). Due to the size and population of states such as these, a minimum wage increase could actually be beneficial in increasing revenue and the standard of living for many employees. The majority of the United States is not as fortunate and vastly populated as states such as these. Therefore, an increase in the minimum wage could result in layoffs and reduced hiring. (Doyle). Overall, the minimum wage should not be increased to $15 per hour.