Dear Future President:

My name is Gage Main and I live in Oskaloosa, Iowa. I am a middle schooler at Oskaloosa Christian School. I am in 7th grade.

I am writing to talk to you about the minimum wage. People keep on saying that we need to lower the minimum wage and lower the prices. I disagree. We need to raise the minimum wage and have prices go down. We need to lower the prices on some of the junk food on the menu like the burgers and the fries. If you take some items off the menu, you could have more money for the minimum wage.

This problem matters to me because I might work at a restaurant to earn money so I can get a house or car. In1985, a cheese burger could be purchased for $0.64. Now it costs $1.74. The minimum wage in 1980 was $3.10. Now it is $7.25. And I also like eating at McDonald's but it’s not fair to the people who don't work there and have to pay a lot to eat when you are raising the prices too high because of the minimum wage.

You should care about the problem because people don’t want to pay 6 dollars just for a plain hamburger. Teens need the money from their job so that they can have a good start in life. But when you lower the wage teens can’t get what they need to start off as a good life then you will have people paying too much and didn’t do anything to begin with. And I want to start my life off good because I could make money and have a home and food and transportation.

What you can do for America and people working at restaurants is lower the prices then more people will come, then you can have enough money to raise the minimum wage for the teens that work at a fast food restaurant. And you will have better food companies and teens can finally get what they need in their life to succeed.

In my Christian life, I believe that everything should be fair and equal. And everyone should have a start to a good life. That way they might have a good chance of being successful in life. And plus teens need money for college. And I pray for a better country and better life to start with. Revelation 3:1 says “We serve our god that can shut doors that he wants to shut and he can open doors that he wants to open behold I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut I know you have a little strength if you have kept my word and not denied my name.” Teens have that open door that God gives, them let them walk through it and have the life they need.

I ask that you do something about this problem in America. Why not try doing something about the problem or the conflict will just keep on getting worse. And then teens won’t have enough money to pay for college or a car or a house or something. Thank you future president.

Sincerely,

Gage Main