Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Minimum Wage Is Worth $2 Less Today Than It Was In 1968: Study

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is worth $2 less today than it was in 1968 when adjusted for inflation. That's one of the findings in a June study by the non-partisan Economy Policy Institute on the economic position of Blacks in America.

Today, the minimum wage, which hasn't increased since 2009, falls short of a living wage. According to the EPI study, a full-time worker would need to earn $11.06 an hour in 2011 to keep a family of four out of poverty.

The real value of the minimum wage peaked in 1968, when it was $1.60.

Over the past 50 years, the minimum wage has seen little to no growth as worker productivity has surged. In fact, if the minimum wage kept pace with increases in worker productivity, it would now stand at $21.72 per hour.

In February, President Barack Obama proposed raising the the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour. Republican lawmakers unanimously voted down a House proposal to raise the minimum wage in March.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com
Author: The Huffington Post
Topics: , ,

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