NEW RESEARCH INDICATES THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS
MAKING MINIMUM WAGE IN CERTAIN STATES HAVE TO WORK 100 HOURS A
WEEK JUST TO MAKE ENOUGH TO LIVE.
THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE
IS $7.75, AND A LOT OF STATES
ABIDE BY THAT.
AS A RESULT, A LOT OF AMERICANS ARE SUFFERING.
OVERALL AMERICANS HAVE TO WORK 93.1 HOURS A WEEK AT THE MINIMUM
WAGE TO EARN A LIVING WAGE.
AMERICANS HAVE TO EARN $16.95 ON
AVERAGE TO MAKE IT LIVABLE WAGE.
THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE AT
$7.25 AN HOUR IS WORTH LESS THAN THE 1968 MINIMUM-WAGE IN TODAY'S
DOLLARS.
I AM GOING TO GO THROUGH THE STATES TO GIVE YOU A
SENSE OF HOW MUCH YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK IF YOU ARE
MAKING MINIMUM WAGE AND YOU WANT
TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
>> IF YOU FACTOR IN INFLATION, THE MINIMUM WAGE IS
LOWER TODAY THAN IT WAS AT 1968.
SO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE
CRYING NONSTOP ABOUT, OH MY GOD, THE MINIMUM WAGE IS TOO HIGH ñ ñ
REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING WE SHOULD GET RID OF THE MINIMUM WAGE.
SO
WHEN YOU SAY TEN DOLLARS, OR FIFTEEN DOLLARS JUST TO KEEP
PACE, THEY SAY OH NO YOU ARE GOING TO KILL THE ECONOMY.
ITíS A LIE.
IT IS NOT TOO HIGH, IT IS MORE THAN IN 1968.
YOU CANNOT LIVE OFF IT.
>> IF YOU ARE LIVING IN NEW JERSEY, THE MINIMUM WAGE
THERE IS EIGHT DOLLARS AND THIRTY-EIGHT CENTS.
THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL WAGE, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE
$19.76 AN HOUR IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
MEANING THAT IF YOU ARE MAKING MINIMUM WAGE, YOU HAVE TO WORK
94.3 HOURS A WEEK JUST TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF
LIVING IN THE STATE.
>> SO IF YOU ARE WONDERING, HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU DO THAT?
NOBODY CAN WORK NINETY HOURS A WEEK, AT LEAST CONSISTENTLY.
THAT MEANS BOTH PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY WORK, AND IF THEY
BOTH WORK AT MINIMUM WAGE AND THEN SOME THEY ARE BARELY
SQUEAKING BY.
WHO IS LOOKING AFTER THE KIDS?
DO YOU HAVE TIME TO DO HOMEWORK WITH THEM?
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN OF COURSE FOX NEWS WILL TURN AROUND AND YELL AT YOU
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB AT PARENTING
WHILE YOU ARE WORKING 2 1/2 MINIMUM-WAGE JOBS.
>> IN NEW HAMPSHIRE YOU WOULD HAVE TO WORK 95.1 HOURS A WEEK, IN
MARYLAND AT 91.3 HOURS, IN VIRGINIA 103.2 HOURS A WEEK.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE STATE TO LIVE IN IS HAWAII, BECAUSE OF THE
FACT THAT MINIMUM WAGE IS MUCH LOWER.
YOU HAVE TO WORK 107
HOURS A WEEK IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
THE REASON WHY THIS
STORY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE, OFTEN TIMES WHEN YOU
HEAR ABOUT THE WORKING POOR ñ BY POLITICIANS OR EVEN THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA ñ THE NARRATIVE IS, THESE PEOPLE ARE LAZY.
THEY
ARE LOW SKILLED WORKERS, THEY WON'T PICK THEMSELVES UP BY THE
BOOTSTRAPS.
THESE ARE THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY, THEY ARE JUST GETTING PAID VERY LITTLE.
AS A RESULT,
FORTY HOURS A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH TO EARN A DECENT LIVING.
IT IS
NOT A LIVING WAGE.
BY THE WAY, ALL THE COMPANIES THAT WON'T PAY THEM A
LIVING WAGE, WE END UP SUBSIDIZING THOSE EMPLOYEES.
>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
THEY PRETEND THERE IS A FREE MARKET.
WHAT WALMART DOES IS, THEY GO INTO A COMMUNITY, THEY PAY AN
INCREDIBLY LOW WAGE, AND BECAUSE THEY GET REALLY CHEAP MATERIAL
FROM CHINA, THEY DRIVE LOCAL MOM AND POP
COMPANIES OUT OF BUSINESS.
NOW EVERYBODY IN TOWN IS DEPENDENT
ON THEM FOR JOBS, SO THEY GO, I AM GOING TO PAY YOU SO LOW THAT
THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK.
YOU WILL
HAVE TO HAVE FOOD STAMPS BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT SUPPORT A
FAMILY ON MINIMUM WAGE.
WE KNOW THAT, SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE
GOVERNMENT PAY FOR YOUR MEDICAID, YOUR FOOD STAMPS SO
YOUR KIDS CAN EAT, AND YOU HAVE
JUST SUBSIDIZED MY INCREDIBLY GIANT AND PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
WHAT PART OF THIS IS FREE MARKET?
THE GUYS YOU ARE
PAYING FOR FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAID, THAT IS HELPING THE
WALMARTíS OF THE WORLD.
IF YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT,
YOU WOULD INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND MAKE THE CORPORATIONS
ACTUALLY PAY FOR THEIR WORKERS.
YOU WANT TO RAISE THE MINIMUM
WAGE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY FEED A FAMILY THAT THEY ARE
WORKING HARD?
OH, NO, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT FAMILIES IN AMERICA.
ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS, HOW CAN I HELP MULTINATIONAL
CORPORATIONS AND THE WEALTHY IN AMERICA?