Living Wage Politics: Special City Council Meeting Wednesday!

From Terry Riley:
Living Wage.  This isn't about sneaking some unearned benefit.  This is about being paid more than people are currently being paid because the existing minimum wage is inadequate.  Now, that is a simple statement but the problem is really that simple.  There are people who are making the issue sound difficult.  They say that if you give a raise at the bottom of the wage scale then everybody will want a raise and the cost of everything will go up.  Excuse me!  The prices on everything have already gone up!  Gas at $2.20 per gallon.  If you ignore everything else, that alone is proof that $5.15 per hour is not a living wage.

If you approach this problem as a business owner and in a totally selfish manner you can still justify better pay in an ever tightening economy.  Think about how these things affect an employee's value to you.  No wonder you don't think they are worth more money, you made them too expensive to hire.

• Employees who make less than a living wage will not own a reliable car.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will not have reliable child care.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will need food stamps just to get by.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will have to use tax supported health care.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will have to use tax supported legal aid.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will have to use tax supported housing.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will change jobs with no notice. 
• Employees who make less than a living wage will be sick more often than others. 
• Employees who make less than a living wage will experience more domestic abuse.
• Employees who make less than a living wage will be more likely to steal from an employer.

Some people argue that if somebody wants to make more money they should work harder or get a better education.  How do you get a better education if you are working 60 or more hours per week at two or three jobs so you can pay most of your bills?  How can you get ahead when predatory lending is legal for paycheck loans, title loans, and tax refund loans?

How can we not support a living wage?  Don't fool yourself, this is not really a good wage.  For example, you wouldn't want to only be paid $7.15 per hour, would you?

The Albuquerque City Council is holding a special session this Wednesday, May 25th at 5 PM in the City Council Chambers which is downstairs in the City -County Building.  That is just west of the Civic Plaza downtown at the corner of Marquette and 3rd Street.

The present action is only to put this issue on the ballot in October so that the voters can choose.  The polls show that 70% of the citizens of Albuquerque support this.

I promised the City Council a large turnout in support of this measure when they deferred dealing with it at the last regular City Council meeting.  We really have to show up in large numbers because it is not clear that we have enough support to pass this.  Please don't let this opportunity to improve living conditions in Albuquerque drop.  The people deserve it and we KNOW that this kind of help is not coming from the state or federal governments.

Terry Riley
www.WhatIfYouKnew-NM.com
Veterans for Peace - Albuquerque
Veterans for Common Sense
Military Families Speak Out
Stop the War Machine
New Mexico Democratic Friends