October 31, 2006

Issue Two: Raising the Minimum Wage

Ohio Issue Two, a constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage, is another hotly debated issue up for vote on Tuesday, 11/7/2006.

The minimum wage in Ohio hasn't been raised since the wage was last raised nationally in 1997. $5.15/hr doesn't have the same value in 2006 as it did nine years ago. Proposed is a modest hike in the minimum wage: bringing the lowest paid employees up to $6.85/hr.

Arguments for this are fairly simple: increase the amount that the lowest paid people are paid increases their purchasing power and helps the general welfare of the public.

Arguments against are that small businesses will be hurt by the new law. This perspective doesn't hold water. I can't remember the exact figure, but a business must make a certain amount of money for the law to apply to them.

I think the issue is pretty cut and dry. Vote YES on Issue 2.

Raise the Wage

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