To: The Utah State House, The Utah State Senate, and Governor Gary R. Herbert
Raise the Wage
Minimum wage needs to be high enough that one can live off of it, not necessarily comfortably, but they can live off it. That is no longer the case in Utah and must change!
Why is this important?
The purpose of minimum wage is to legally require that an individual gets paid enough to afford the cost of living off 40 hours of work. According the the US Census Bureau, Utah's per person average income for 2012 (the most recent year with data) was only $23,794, over $4,000 below the national average! With the rising cost of living for everyone and an increase in tuition of 5.6% this year for secondary education, minimum wage in Utah no longer fulfills these requirements and must be raised. Basic necessities in modern society such as food, water, a basic cell phone for work, transportation, education, and a roof over one's head become harder to obtain with each passing year. I propose that raising minimum wage to $10.10 would satisfy the cost of living for individuals in Utah and give the state the financial boost it needs in light of its recent drop in tourism