Issue Position: $15 Per Hour Washington Minimum Wage - Recycle Money Down to the Bottom

Issue Position

There is no other way to raise the poor up to a decent standard of living than to raise the minimum wage.

A $15 minimum wage phased in over several years would not hurt business. Studies have proven that.

Retail businesses will raise prices, but they all will have to raise prices. So one business will not be at a disadvantage with respect to others.

Business owners will figure out a way to pay their workers more and still make a reasonable profit. Business owners have ways to adjust. Poor people do not.

Raising the minimum wage is a way to force businesses to figure out how to raise the wages they pay.

I have traveled in very poor countries. I have seen how the poor live. I do not want to live in a country where live like that.

The minimum wage in 1968 was worth around $13 in today's dollars. But the Washington minimum wage is $9.47. That is not right.

Republicans oppose raising the minimum wage. Some would get rid of the minimum wage if they could. Most Republicans are fundamentalist Christians, but the rule to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is not something they believe is a duty government has to the poor. However, Jesus never said that "do unto others" would not apply to groups or people or organizations or businesses or governments. Do unto others applies to all.

The rich are getting richer. The middle class is working harder just to get by. And the poor are really suffering. There must be a way to recycle more money down to the poor and the middle class, and a strong minimum wage is the best way to do that.

In fact, there is no other way.

We should raise the minimum wage in Washington to $15 per hour.

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