MAKING MINIMUM WAGE HAVE TO WORK AS MUCH AS 100 HOURS A

WEEK IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THIS IS RESEARCHED BY ALLIANCE FOR A JUST SOCIETY. AND THEY CAME UP WITH A REALLY INTERESTING LISTED STATES WHERE THE COST OF LIVING IS HIGH BUT THE MINIMUM WAGE IS LOW. AS YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE

IS ABOUT$7.75, AND A LOT OF STATES

ABIDE BY THAT AND THEY DON’T GO ANY HIGHER. AND AS A RESULT, A LOT OF AMERICANS ARE SUFFERING.

OVERALL AMERICANS HAVE TO WORK 93.1 HOURS A WEEK AT THE MINIMUM

WAGE TO EARN A LIVING WAGE. THAT’S TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. AMERICANS HAVE TO EARN $16.95 ON

AVERAGE TO MAKE A LIVING WAGE. OK, THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE, I’M SORRY , IS ACTUALLY

$7.25 NOT 7.75 AN HOUR, AND IS WORTH LESS THAN THE 1968 MINIMUM-WAGE IN TODAY'S

DOLLARS. WHILE THE COST OF LIVING CONTINUES TO GROW. SO, I AM GOING TO GO THROUGH THE STATES TO GIVE YOU A

SENSE OF HOW MUCH YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK IF YOU ARE

MAKING MINIMUM WAGE AND YOU WANT

TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

>> IF YOU FACTOR IN INFLATION, THE MINIMUM WAGE IS

LOWER TODAY THAN IT WAS AT 1968. SO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE

CRYING NONSTOP ABOUT, OH MY GOD, THE MINIMUM WAGE IS TOO HIGH ñ ñ

REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING WE SHOULD GET RID OF THE MINIMUM WAGE. SO

WHEN YOU SAY TEN DOLLARS, OR FIFTEEN DOLLARS JUST TO KEEP

PACE, THEY SAY OH NO YOU ARE GOING TO KILL THE ECONOMY.

ITíS A LIE. IT IS NOT TOO HIGH, IT IS MORE THAN IN 1968.

YOU CANNOT LIVE OFF IT.

>> IF YOU ARE LIVING IN NEW JERSEY, THE MINIMUM WAGE

THERE IS EIGHT DOLLARS AND THIRTY-EIGHT CENTS.

THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL WAGE, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE

$19.76 AN HOUR IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

MEANING THAT IF YOU ARE MAKING MINIMUM WAGE, YOU HAVE TO WORK

94.3 HOURS A WEEK JUST TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF

LIVING IN THE STATE.

>> SO IF YOU ARE WONDERING, HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU DO THAT?

NOBODY CAN WORK NINETY HOURS A WEEK, AT LEAST CONSISTENTLY.

THAT MEANS BOTH PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY WORK, AND IF THEY

BOTH WORK AT MINIMUM WAGE AND THEN SOME THEY ARE BARELY

SQUEAKING BY.

WHO IS LOOKING AFTER THE KIDS?

DO YOU HAVE TIME TO DO HOMEWORK WITH THEM?

ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND THEN OF COURSE FOX NEWS WILL TURN AROUND AND YELL AT YOU

BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB AT PARENTING

WHILE YOU ARE WORKING 2 1/2 MINIMUM-WAGE JOBS.

>> IN NEW HAMPSHIRE YOU WOULD HAVE TO WORK 95.1 HOURS A WEEK, IN

MARYLAND AT 91.3 HOURS, IN VIRGINIA 103.2 HOURS A WEEK.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE STATE TO LIVE IN IS HAWAII, BECAUSE OF THE

FACT THAT MINIMUM WAGE IS MUCH LOWER. YOU HAVE TO WORK 107

HOURS A WEEK IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE REASON WHY THIS

STORY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE, OFTEN TIMES WHEN YOU

HEAR ABOUT THE WORKING POOR ñ BY POLITICIANS OR EVEN THE

MAINSTREAM MEDIA ñ THE NARRATIVE IS, THESE PEOPLE ARE LAZY. THEY

ARE LOW SKILLED WORKERS, THEY WON'T PICK THEMSELVES UP BY THE

BOOTSTRAPS. THESE ARE THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE IN THE

COUNTRY, THEY ARE JUST GETTING PAID VERY LITTLE. AS A RESULT,

FORTY HOURS A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH TO EARN A DECENT LIVING. IT IS

NOT A LIVING WAGE.

BY THE WAY, ALL THE COMPANIES THAT WON'T PAY THEM A

LIVING WAGE, WE END UP SUBSIDIZING THOSE EMPLOYEES.

>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THEY PRETEND THERE IS A FREE MARKET.

WHAT WALMART DOES IS, THEY GO INTO A COMMUNITY, THEY PAY AN

INCREDIBLY LOW WAGE, AND BECAUSE THEY GET REALLY CHEAP MATERIAL

FROM CHINA, THEY DRIVE LOCAL MOM AND POP

COMPANIES OUT OF BUSINESS. NOW EVERYBODY IN TOWN IS DEPENDENT

ON THEM FOR JOBS, SO THEY GO, I AM GOING TO PAY YOU SO LOW THAT

THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK. YOU WILL

HAVE TO HAVE FOOD STAMPS BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT SUPPORT A

FAMILY ON MINIMUM WAGE. WE KNOW THAT, SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE

GOVERNMENT PAY FOR YOUR MEDICAID, YOUR FOOD STAMPS SO

YOUR KIDS CAN EAT, AND YOU HAVE

JUST SUBSIDIZED MY INCREDIBLY GIANT AND PROFITABLE BUSINESS.

WHAT PART OF THIS IS FREE MARKET? THE GUYS YOU ARE

PAYING FOR FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAID, THAT IS HELPING THE

WALMARTíS OF THE WORLD. IF YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT,

YOU WOULD INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND MAKE THE CORPORATIONS

ACTUALLY PAY FOR THEIR WORKERS. YOU WANT TO RAISE THE MINIMUM

WAGE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY FEED A FAMILY THAT THEY ARE

WORKING HARD?

OH, NO, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT FAMILIES IN AMERICA.

ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS, HOW CAN I HELP MULTINATIONAL

CORPORATIONS AND THE WEALTHY IN AMERICA?