2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the editor:
Texas is behind on raising minimum wage
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
In response to the editorial on the federal minimum wage increase, there are some missing figures that might shed a little bit more light on the subject.
Most important, right now 31 of the 50 United States already have minimum wages higher than the current national minimum of $5.15 per hour.
Moreover, 11 of those states currently have - or have already passed legislation guaranteeing - a minimum wage higher than the proposed federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, and nine states already have a system which automatically adjusts their minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index.
In other words, Texas is in the minority of states that have had the chance to raise the mini?mum wage from $5.15 per hour since 1997 but have chosen not to. For the states that have, the proposed federal minimum wage increase will not cause such drastic consequences.
Federal legislation will not be to blame if the Texas labor force economy experiences the radical after-effects from the federal minimum wage increase described in your editorial; Texas legislation will.
Most important, right now 31 of the 50 United States already have minimum wages higher than the current national minimum of $5.15 per hour.
Moreover, 11 of those states currently have - or have already passed legislation guaranteeing - a minimum wage higher than the proposed federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, and nine states already have a system which automatically adjusts their minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index.
In other words, Texas is in the minority of states that have had the chance to raise the mini?mum wage from $5.15 per hour since 1997 but have chosen not to. For the states that have, the proposed federal minimum wage increase will not cause such drastic consequences.
Federal legislation will not be to blame if the Texas labor force economy experiences the radical after-effects from the federal minimum wage increase described in your editorial; Texas legislation will.
Be the first to comment on this story