I keep telling myself that one day I will hit the lotto. I can only dream, but hey, you’ll never know. I can be the next big millionaire. Unless you were born in a family with money, some of us average working citizens are killing our backs working long hours and over time just to put food on the table and make rent on time. I’ll admit, I’m a little bitter about it because most of them are just your typical spoiled brats (ex: E!’s reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills) who don’t know what hard work is and will likely never know.
An opinion piece by an unknown writer with the heading of “Congress needs to increase the minimum wage” found on the Dallas News, it seems like Congress is the target interest for attention. The writer did not do a good job persuading because it definitely did not persuade me. In the article the writer states “minimum wage erodes buying power of low-paid workers” and that an increase would benefit Texas. Texas has a higher share of low pay workers on the edge of poverty with Dallas being the third with the highest poverty rate among major U.S. cities.
At sixteen, my first job, I was paid $5.50/hour. I can definitely relate to those who have worked hard and long hours to earn a small paycheck every two weeks. Starting from $5.50/hour with no work experience, I’ve moved up to $16.48/hour after years of experience. I’ve always been a hard worker and I’ve worked hard to prove myself within a company, so yes, I do feel that with my years of work, experience and dedication that I should be paid what I deserve.
According to the statistics obtained by the writer from the “Future Dallas” report, Boston and Washington, D.C. showed the worse income inequality. I’ve worked years to prove myself and worked my way up to $16/hour so exactly how is it “equal” to give someone who has no/less work history or experience as myself the same base pay rate that took me years to earn? Honestly, wouldn’t you be pissed?
The writer then goes on to state that even with a rise in minimum pay, it’s not a certain way out of poverty because “better education and skills are the answers to poverty.” The article is then finished off with its time to help low-income workers by giving them a boost in pay so they can help themselves. I’m not exactly sure what the writer is trying to say. Raise minimum pay so we’re not in poverty, yet it isn’t the key out of poverty because education and skill is the answer to poverty? I’m not arguing that I am against raising minimum pay because believe me I’ve been there. I am a broke, single mother, working, college student and I have busted my butt off working a full time job at the hospital, part time for my family business, going to school part time all while raising a five year old at the same time. I do know how important it is to have an education and how it can benefit my future. If you want something you have to work hard for it to earn it and with my years of hard work earned me a higher starting pay rate and to give others with no/less experience and qualifications does not seem fair or equal.
Overall, the article was an interesting read and the writer provided lots of information, however, I feel the clarity of the article was not convincing.
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