Dear Mr. or Mrs. President,

Many politicians and businessmen would want you to believe that the current federal minimum wage does not need to be raised, or that raising it would hurt the economy, or that small American businesses would suffer from a raised minimum wage. The truth of the matter is that the minimum wage needs to be raised, as $7.25 is barely enough to support a single person, let alone a family. Poverty rates are only increasing and we need to do something about while we still have the chance.

According to ASPE(Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation), the poverty threshold for a single person is $11,880 per year, while it is increased to $16,020 per year for a household of two. An article published by KQED states that “A person earning the current minimum wage and working a 40-hour week makes $15,080 per year, which is barely above the poverty line for a single adult and is well below it for someone supporting children.”This means a single parent with a child won’t be able to support themselves working under minimum wage. Unfortunately, this example is a reality for many families in our country. The federal minimum wage is simply too low, and many people in America are suffering from it.

Fortunately, many states in our country have realized that $7.25 an hour is not enough to make a living, and have raised the rates locally. For example, Maryland has a minimum wage of $8.75. According to a poverty map published by povertyusa.org, Maryland has the second lowest poverty rate in our country at 9.7%. This shows that a higher minimum wage can lower poverty rates.

A higher minimum wage will only help our country. Please take this into consideration as you begin your presidency.

Thanks,

R.N.