Time for a Raise?

"Time for a Raise?" by Patricia Smith discusses the issues concerning minimum wage salaries in America. It informs us that lately President Obama has been trying t convince the federal government to raise the minimum wage. Currently, minimum wage is 7.25 dollars an hour. The aticle says thats 290 a week, not enough to live well on. "No one who works full time in America should have to live in poverty" says President Obama. A lot of the articles focus is the age of the people minimum wage is affecting. It turns out that a whopping 49 percent of minimum wage workers are 25 years old or older. Lots of which have families to support im sure. They include quotes from fast food workers like Roberto Tejada. "These jobs arent just for teenagers anymore," he says. They also include the pros and cons of raising minimum wage. In fact, raising it may not change anything. If an owner has to raise everybodys wages, he/she could increase prices, scaring off customers. hire fewer workers, or reduce the amount of hours his employees work. There are already tons of jobless young people and even people with families, so economists wonder what the best thing to do would be.

I think Patricia wants us to support minimum wage being raised. Most of the article talks about how unfair it is for minimum wage workers, and how it is affecting a wide age group of people. She includes a quote from Obama, supporting the raise, and also a quote from a minimum wage worker. Along with that, she has a picture of people protesting for 15 dollars an hour and a political cartoon making fun of how ridiculous things are for fast food workers. She also has a pie chart reflecting the different age groups of minimum wage workers. 20-24 years old,, 27 percent, 16-19 years old, 24 percent, 25 years and up, 49 percent. Smith conducts a very persuading argument, with very factual evidence. She convinced me and Im sure a lot of others that minimum wage should be increased.