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Issue Position: Raising the Minimum Wage

Issue Position

Date: Jan. 1, 2014
Issues: Employment and Affirmative Action

I am a member of the PA Raise the Wage Coalition, and I'm advocating now to raise the minimum wage to $11/hour. Raising the minimum wage will put more money into the hands of struggling families and put more spending into the economy to support business growth.

The transition of the Cheltenham Mall from the home of Gimbels to one of significant vacancies over the past 40 years is directly related to the declining income of area residents. If the minimum wage kept up with inflation, it would be $19 per hour. Full-time minimum wage income would be $39,520 a year instead of $14,400, and the Mall and community would thrive.

A national survey of small businesses showed majority support for raising the minimum wage. The current minimum wage is so low that some families must use taxpayer-funded food stamps and public assistance to make ends meet. This means that tax payers end up subsidizing employers who aren't paying their workers a living wage.


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