Minimum Wage Redux

I wrote on the minimum wage laws in the United States a while back, but there's some news regarding the situation today. As you may know, the federal minimum wage in the United States is $5.15 an hour, and this has remained unchanged in 9 years, not even being adjusted for inflation. An annual salary of a person earning minimum wage is therefore $10,700, which is far below the poverty line. Essentially, the buying power of the poorest people in the United States becomes smaller and smaller with each passing year as the cost of goods increases. In these past 9 years, energy, housing, and gasoline prices have seen dramatic rises.

Today, the US Senate voted on a bill which would have raised the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. The bill did not pass, and so the minimum wage will stay the same for years to come. The irony in this whole situation is that a week ago the Senators who are supposed to represent the American people voted and passed a bill which raised their salaries. In the 9 years since minimum wage has been increased, Senators and Congressmen have voted to increase their own salaries by over 25%, up to their current level of $168,000 US a year. Every single one of these people should be thrown out of office. Who exactly do these "representatives" think they're representing? It's certainly not your average American.