After we announced plans last July for our initiated measure to raise the minimum wage, KELO’s Don Jorgenson went to Hansen County, the county with the lowest cost of living in the entire country, and asked folks if they could live on minimum wage there.
Last week, the New York Times put together a very compelling infographic to show just how hard it is to survive on minimum wage. Play around with it. It becomes very clear very quickly that even a single adult who works full time at minimum wage would struggle to make ends meet.
Is it any wonder then why newspapers across the country are speaking on behalf of raising the minimum wage?
Kansas Give American workers a reasonable raise Kansas City Star // Editorial
Michigan To reward work, increase the minimum wage Holland Sentinel // Editorial
California Raise the minimum wage LA Times // Editorial
New Mexico Minimum wage hike good for NM Albuquerque Journal// Editorial
Nebraska Minimum wage Star Herald // Editorial
Connecticut Move now to improve minimum wage New Haven Register // Editorial
Pennsylvania Support for a living wage York Dispatch // Editorial
Massachusetts Editorial: The case for higher wages The Metro West Daily News// Editorial Board
Florida Minimum wage hike aids economy Florida Today // Rhonda Abrahams
Texas It’s time to raise the minimum wage The Humble Observer// Patty Pinkley Humble Area Democrats
Idaho The Value of Increasing the Minimum Wage Times-News// Melinda Henneberger
Alaska Raising Alaska’s minimum wage is a common sense decision Alaska Dispatch // Carey Restino
Colorado Higher pay helps the economy Denver Post // Don Marostica OpEd
Washington Raise wages to reduce racial income inequality The Seattle Times // Gerald Hankerson OpEd
College graduates need the minimum wage to rise The Seattle Times // Sandi Halimuddin OpEd
Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown: Minimum-wage hike will help economy Cincinnati Enquirer // Sen. Sherrod Brown OpEd
Iowa Minimum wage no longer fair The Gazette // Rep. Bruce Braley OpEd
Low minimum wage bad for women, business Globe Gazette // Sherry Stewart Deutschmann OpEd
Wisconsin The need to increase the minimum wage is pressing Racine Journal Times // State Rep. Cory Mason OpEd
Minimum wage hike? Boost pay and the economy Milwaukee Journal Sentinel // Michael Wilder and Rosalynn Wolfe OpEd
Minnesota Times Writers Group: Raise minimum wage, work in justice SC Times // Times Writers Group OpEd
Texas Higher minimum wage would help economy, workers The Daily Toreador // Jakob Reynolds OpEd