Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed a minimum wage increase law while surrounded by signs reading, “Seattle needs a raise.”

The bill that Murray signed in to law guarantees an increase in Seattle’s minimum wage to be implemented in increments over the next several years. Ultimately the goal is to have all businesses operating in or from Seattle to pay a minimum hourly wage of $15.

Cue the hoards of frightened citizens crying about how they will not be able to afford a burger at McDonald’s if wages are increased. If Wal Mart wants to keep selling t-shirts that read, “America is Number 1,” then we should be the most influential nation in all aspects. This includes paying our citizens a living wage.

It seems that some people in America do not like the thought of the person serving their food being able to live off of their wages.

Employees are thrilled that they will be able to make a decent amount of money while business owners complain about miniscule increases in costs. David Jones, owner of two Subway franchises in Seattle is concerned about offsetting the $250 a week he will be required to pay in wage increases.

This is just absurd. If a Subway franchise can’t afford to lose $250 a week in order to pay its employees more then there is a problem.

If businesses in Australia can afford to pay employees a minimum wage of $16.88, I am certain most businesses in America can afford to pay employees $15.

It all boils down to the inability to live off of the current minimum wages with part of the problem being states making their own minimum wages, with only 29 states coming in above the federal minimum wage. Georgia currently has a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, which is slightly appalling.

Most minimum wage jobs are those that do not offer employees many hours. A person working a minimum wage job in Georgia can expect to work 40 hours a week without time off in order to get to the federal poverty line for a single person household.

40 hours a week at a minimum wage job in Georgia would leave a person right on the poverty line.

It is unfortunate that we live in a society that finds in acceptable to pay someone so little that they would barely be able to live let alone live comfortably.

More states need to go the way of Seattle and increase minimum wages so that America can prosper.

There was a time in America when a simple job could provide for a full family. Those days are long gone and now people have to fight to feed their families while working 40 hours a week. It is time to resurrect a more prosperous America. 

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