Gwen Bell
ENGL032
Professor: Audra Spicer
February 10,2014

"The minimum wage debate"
President Obama faces a difficult path in his efforts to raise the federal minimum wage. Workers and lawmakers have gained momentum on the state level on the issue that will remain throughout the United States for the year 2014. More than 30 states are preparing to consider legislation or ballot measures to hike the minimum wage in the coming months. Illinois governor Pat Quinn, who is a democrat is backing raising the minimum wage from $8.25 hourly in my state Illinois to $10.00 an hour. Advocates of a minimum wage hike are staking out territory on the issue, and the national advocacy group that promotes Obama's agenda recently announced that they are launching a six figure national television ad that will highlight Obama's call to raise the minimum wage. Republicans have already stated their opposition stating that raising the minimum wage will force business owners to cut hours, raise prices, and cut back on the number of employees that they have. In my opinion I think that raising the minimum wage will put American's in a better position to support themselves as well as their families. This would help them to not have to depend on government assistance to fill the gap. People that are earning the minimum wage are spending more than they save, because they have no other choice.
One of the most debated questions about the minimum wage is whether businesses will simply scale down the number of employees, If they have to pay them more. There have been numerous debates, and studies about this.