D
October 16, 2002
The Clackamas Print
Should the minim m wage be raised?
PRO
a
Copy Editor
Registered voters in Oregon are about to
tackle the minimum wage issue again on
Nov 5, just as they did in 1996. The voters
will be asked to approve Ballot Measure
25, which will increase the minimum wage
to $6.90 per hour, with increases every year
tied to increases in thè cost-of-living.
As a single man who has worked in the
retail/restaurant industry most of his adult
life, I know personally what kind of strug
gles most people have with trying to make
a living and take care of a family on $6.50
per hour. We living in Oregon are actually
fairly lucky to be living here; as our mini-:
mum wage is higher than most states in the
union. But is that wage high enough to
support the basic necessities of life.
Hardly.
A person who works 40 hours a week
making the minimum makes approximately
$13,000 a year, before taxes After taking
out the nine percent for Oregon taxes, the
ten percent lor federal taxes and the 7.75
percent for Social Security,' Medicare and
Worker’s Compensation taxes; a person is
left with about $8,800 per year. Think real
hard about trying to pay rent, buy food,
maintain a car, pay utilities and have
enough to live on, not just exist; It is hard.
Real hard. A forty-cent increase in the
minimum wage would help.
Granted, it would not help muchybut
every little bit does help. That extjaiorty
cents translates to about $800 a ydar. That
money more than likely goes right back
into the economy, buying groceries, buying
gas, paying for child care, helping an indi
vidual trying to work and go to school to
make a better life for oneself. Trying to get
away from the minimum wage life.
The service industry is the fastest grow
ing sector of the U.S. economy. Those
making theminimum or slightly more than
the minimum, wage hold many of these
unskilled positions. Employers have a hard
time holding on to people who make the
minimum wage, but if an increase would
help employers hold on to people that they
have trained to do a job, that increase in
labor cost should be offset by the fact that
employers don’t have to spend more to
train new people.
As a comnion working man, I would
urge people to vote for Measure 25, which
would raise the minimum wage to $6.90
per hour, with subsequent raises every
year tied to the rise in the cost-of-living.
Help those people who pump your gas,
sei ve you your value meal and wash your
dirty dishes after eating in a restaurant.
They might be able to thank your business
in the end by patronizing your establish
ment with the extra money they will be
able to spend. Vote Yes on Measure 25.
F
a
c
e
O
f
f
Staff Writer
On the surface, an increased mini
mum wage would be a good thing. No,
an increased minimum wage would be
a great thing.
The problem with
Measure 25 is that the minimum xyage;
will not stop increasing.
WOW! Isaiah, you must be stupid
not to want more money! ’ | |-
g
I work in fast food. The increased
wages would help me out, not to men
tion the 20+ people 1 work with who
have no college education or hope for
job advancement, They would most
likely be excited by the increase in
2004, and for that matter they would
come to expect their yearly raise by
2010.
What happens though when years
down the road, inflation is so high that
the minimum wage is $20 per hour, and
the small business owners can’t afford
to pay their employees?
At that point, there won’t be enough
gold in Fort Knox to pay .off the big
wigs in Washington, let alone Joe
Schmoc Whopper Flipper.
Oh wait! We could just print off
reams and reams of useless dollar bills
when the American dollar becomes
more worthless than the German Mark,
post-World War I.
increased • minimum wage
increases the cost of living.
In order to make up for the
increased amount of cash flowing
through the state, manufacturers will
need to charge more in order to keep
their profits up. They will also have to
decrease ihe amount of employees they
hire...
If the fat cats want to do something
for the good of the general populous,
they should do something about
Oregon’s unemployment rate.
We’re number 2! We’re number 2!
(Oregon’s unemployment rate is ranked
second in the nation!)
Being forced to pay their employees
more won’t make business owners,
managers, or operators able to hire any
new employees. This could potentially
mean more layoffs and/or pay cuts.
The intention behind the measure is
good, but raising the cost of living...
oh wait! I mean minimum wage
(excuse me) will not help the elderly on
fixed income.
Voting yes on Measure 25 will only
grease the spiraling slide into the
depths of recession. Recession!
What good is money if you don’t
have a job to make any? What good is
jod ir m^ aollar can only be used as
kindling?
Vote NO on Measure 25. Or else.
Measure 20 addresses both
sides of smoking solution
Erinn Lerten
Opinion Editor
• The effects of Ballot
Measure 20 will be felt
far and wide when the
new cigarette tax goes
into effect Nov 1.
Smokers will soon be paying
with more than their health for
cigarettes. Oregon voters over
whelmingly approved Ballot
Measure 20, by a margin of 64-
36 percent, which will increase
the tax on cigarettes 60 cents per
pack, starting Nov. 1.
The new revenue created by
the cigarette tax, about $113.9
million, will help fund the
Oregon Health Plan and will
restore $2 million in the 2001-
2003 budget for the state’s
tobacco prevention program,
which was cut during this.year’s
legislative special session. By
addressing both problems, pre
vention spending anti a cigarette
tax increase, Oregon can look
forward to reduced smoking
among kids and adults, thus sav 9 percent, double the 4.5 percent
ing lives and saving money£-— i. predicted.
on smoking-related,,
With 20 percent of
health care.
Oregonians smoking,
Higher ciga
it is projected
rette taxes have
V that the new tax
been proven tc
¡■will help 45,000
‘to
55,000
reduce smoking,
particularly among’
Oregonians quit smok
teens. For every ten
ing. Tobacco’s toll
percent increase in
■’’on teens is particu
larly devastating.
price, one percent of
¿Twenty percent-of
smokers will quit.
Each time the ciga
,{11 th graders cur-
rette tax has been
smoke, and
increased, tobacco
8,900
kids
use has fallen more
will become
than the projections.
regular
In 1996, after rais
smokers every
ing the cigarette tax
year, one-
29 cents, smoking went down
third
of
whom will die prematurely.
However, youth smokers are
particularly sensitive to price
increases and as a result this
group of smokers may decline
at a faster rate than adult smok
ers. Smoking-related health
care costs Oregon and its tax
payers $871 million a year.
The opposition of Measure
20 argues that the tax -unfairly
targets certain individuals.
However, this is a voluntary
tax. No one has to pay this tax.
The truth of the matter is, if
somehow smoking were totally
eliminated and the tax disap
peared, society would save
more in medical expenses from
preventing smoking-related ill
nesses.
★ THE CLACKAMAS PRINT*
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What's your dreqm?
Is it to have your work published?
Or is to just be able to whine and complain to a large audience?
Either way, your work is welcome at The Print
Contact Opinion Editor Erinn Lerten -for submissions.
Barlow 104
(503) 657-6958 ext. 2309
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