To: The Maine State House and The United States House of Representatives
Raise Minimum Wage to a Living Wage
Please raise minimum wage in Maine to the proposed Federal minimum of $10.10 for all hourly employees. Along with this measure, please create incremental tax incentives for employers to pay above minimum wage.
Why is this important?
Maine's current minimum wage is $7.50/hour. Over fifty-two 40-hour weeks, that adds up to $15, 600/year.
The Federal Poverty Guideline for 2015 is $15, 930 for a household of 2. This could mean a single parent of 1 child, a working senior citizen with a disabled spouse, or many other situations. If we as a society want people to work for their living, then the very possibility of doing that must be legislated.
For a family of 3 (eg. single parent, two children), the Federal Guideline is $20 090. Divided by fifty-two 40-hour weeks, this comes to an hourly wage of $9.66.
Minimum-wage employers pay minimum wage because it's required. Decent employers pay more.
This should be done because it's basic human decency. This is not even accounting for daycare, nor for people getting sick or having time off to spend with their families and friends.
Raise Minimum Wage to a Living Wage.
The Federal Poverty Guideline for 2015 is $15, 930 for a household of 2. This could mean a single parent of 1 child, a working senior citizen with a disabled spouse, or many other situations. If we as a society want people to work for their living, then the very possibility of doing that must be legislated.
For a family of 3 (eg. single parent, two children), the Federal Guideline is $20 090. Divided by fifty-two 40-hour weeks, this comes to an hourly wage of $9.66.
Minimum-wage employers pay minimum wage because it's required. Decent employers pay more.
This should be done because it's basic human decency. This is not even accounting for daycare, nor for people getting sick or having time off to spend with their families and friends.
Raise Minimum Wage to a Living Wage.