Parties on minimum wage
Parties on Minimum Wage
With several of our peers voting in the upcoming presidential election, and many of us doing so in the near future, it is crucial for us to have a deep understanding of both the Republican and Democratic parties’ stances on major issues.
It is part of a politician’s job to twist facts and to refrain from telling the whole truth. Their statements are often misleading and confusing to those not enthralled by the world of politics. By becoming well informed on relevant issues, citizens can decide what the best ways to handle those issues are. They are then enabled to make an educated decision on who to vote for based on both their beliefs and the beliefs of the politician or political party. A commonly contemplated issue amongst teenagers is minimum wage.
As many of us find ourselves suddenly thrusted into the workforce, we need to have a deep understanding on how the amount of money we’re earning could change in the near future, especially since high schoolers don’t find themselves in salary jobs at this age.
According to their platform, the Republican party believes that minimum wage should stand where it is and that minimum wage decisions should be made at state and local government levels. This means that they don’t think the federal government should decide the minimum wage number for a certain area.
Of the handling of minimum wage, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says, “But I’d rather leave it to the states. Let the states decide. Because don’t forget, the states have to compete with each other.” If each state makes the final decision, there is a better chance that the final amount on which state officials agree will better suit the state and its citizens’ needs. Moreover, if these matters were handled at a local level, the specifics of the particular area would be better taken into account.
The Democrat party, on the other hand, believes that minimum wage should be significantly increased. They are currently fighting to raise it to $15 an hour.This is nearly double the amount of Ohio’s current minimum wage, which stands at $8.10 an hour. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton explains, “I have supported the fight for 15. I am proud to have the endorsement of most of the unions that have led the fight for 15.” The Democratic party also believes that every worker should have the ability to join a union so that they can become a more powerful force in the workplace. This primarily means that they want workers and their unions to be able to more effectively voice their opinions on issues that directly regard and affect them.
If minimum wage is raised, the cost of living will also increase. Employers will have to raise their prices in order to support the new minimum wage. In turn, the extra money earned due to a higher minimum wage will be spent on the now more expensive items, which saw an increase in the first place because of the minimum wage increase.
Minimum wage, whether it changes or not, affects a vast majority of American citizens, who will most likely not be silenced or satisfied no matter what the outcome is.
