Why Not a Living Income?

 

But now that the budget office has predicted (and exaggerated) the possibility that an increase in the minimum wage might result in a loss of jobs, Republicans think it’s gospel.

“This report confirms what we’ve long known,” said a spokesman for the House speaker, John Boehner. “While helping some, mandating higher wages has real costs, including fewer people working.”

“More than 16 million low-wage workers, now making as little as $7.25 an hour, would directly benefit from the increase, the report said. Another eight million workers making slightly more than the minimum would probably also get raises, because of the upward “ripple effect” of an increase. That would add $31 billion to the paychecks of families ranging from poverty level to the middle class, significantly increasing their spending power and raising the nation’s economic output and overall income.” See more at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/opinion/the-clear-benefits-of-a-higher-wage.html?_r=0

That’s one thing about this world I do not understand. When proposing viable solutions that will end suffering like poverty it’s always something you have to really push to get implemented. When you propose increasing the minimum wage people ask why – the reasons why should be clear. People cannot live off a minimum wage therefor it must be increased.

You hear countless stories of massive companies like McDonalds where the bosses on top make millions in profits, but the employees can’t make enough to live. It simply doesn’t make sense. The people in charge make sure that any solutions to increase the wage gets stopped. In the above article you can see that fear of “job losses” is used to scare people off from increasing the minimum wage. All just so that those few can make millions.

Although increasing the minimum wage will definitely help improve the life’s of workers where they can actually afford to live, it does not present a solution for those who cannot find work. The fact is that there are simply not enough jobs available – so when you have no job you have no money and when you have no money you cannot LIVE. Money is life in this world.

So why propose a Living Income guaranteed? It’s a Human right. To end poverty. To make sure that every person can actually exercise their human right to live. For those who cannot find jobs to have enough money to feed their families and roof over their head, to not just have a the bare essentials, but enough to actually live.