As told to Mike PlaidMy name is Kass and I’m a systems analyst for a large high-end retailer. I’m really lucky to have my job. For a high school drop-out with a few computer certifications, making upwards of $65k a year is a real blessing, since I am the sole breadwinner in my family of 3. But even then things are tough. We have a mortgage on a very modest house, a car payment, and various bills. The most expensive part is often therapy for my autistic son. Medical insurance does not cover everything.
But all of that is why I support a $15 an hour minimum wage. To make the same money as me you’d almost need two full time jobs at $15. I can’t imagine trying to make it on less. And I don’t want to hear about minimum wage jobs being stepping stone jobs that were not meant to be permanent. Even if that was the case, in the current job market more and more of these jobs are being filled by adults who need work to support family.
The same people who don’t want a livable minimum wage are often the same people who want to restrict more social services. The best way to do that is to lift people off of such services by making them self sufficient.
In short. If there is a job you need done, it is worth paying someone a livable wage. No one is going to get rich on $15 an hour. In this day and age, it’s the bare minimum that people really need to survive.
Vote yes on Initiative Measure 1 this November!