Thursday, May 22, 2008

Minimum wage aka chump change!!!

Derrek and I were going through old stuff and found a bunch of old report cards for me and my siblings from middle and high school. That was funny. Then, Derrek found an old pay stub from when he had a paper route. We realized that I was making the same amount as he was making and I was a 19 year old college student in retail. He was a 10 year old boy with a paper route and his stub showed $4.69 an hour which was above minimum wage! So, actually, he was making more than me. I only made 4.25!!!

I remember when I started college in the Fall of 89, my friend Kari and I got jobs making those tiny little key chain license plates with names and sayings on them. We lived in Happy Valley and made minimum wage which was $3.35 an hour! My rent was $150.00 a month and college tuition and books on top of that. I guess that explains why I didn't go to school my third quarter. I am no mathematician (you know, cuz I'm a college drop out!) but, I don't think those numbers compute!

So, this made me think about minimum wage. Here's the low down on the ridiculousness of it all. The first minimum wage was in 1938 at 25 cents and they could raise it in 7 years to 40 cents an hour. I don't know if they did. Then it raised to $2.30 an hour in 1978. It was 3.35 from 81-89. Raised to 3.80 in 1990 and then 4.25 in 1991. It was raised to 5.15 in 1997. And of course it just raised last July to 5.85 and will raise this July to 6.55 and next July to 7.25. Whew! Can you believe how slow they are to raise it and they totally do not keep up with inflation. Ridiculous!

There it is, everything you needed to know about minimum wage. I personally think it's crap. Has anyone had to try and live on minimum wage? It's impossible. I understand both points of view on this because I have tried to live on minimum wage as well as been a business owner.  Thankfully, very few people even offer minimum wage anymore. Even fast food pays more than that. Anyhoo, this is a sore spot for me. But, for now, I am done.

No comments: