Dear Future President, 

In recent months their has been a massive push to maximize the national minimum wage to $15.00 dollars an hour. This not only applies to the hardworking builders, contractors, and the medical team, but also the cashier at McDonald's, Burger King, the local grocery story.   Consider the difference in skill sets required between these examples:  the builder, the cashier.  Are the equal in skill?  Do these jobs require the same education?  This is not only very adverse to the economy but also plain out unfair!  Future President, when addressing legislation related to the minimum wage, please consider that wage increases may be fair,reasonable, and deserved for some jobs; however, it is not the solution for all.

According to www.armyenlisted.org, in 2015,  a United Stated Army Soldier ranked at an E-1 to an E-3 only made approximately $1531.50 a month.   A soldier at that rank works about 80-85 hours a week. Working that amount of hours and risking their lives to protect the great country we have today, a United States Army soldier makes roughly $8.27 dollars per hour. The McDonald's worker averages an hourly wage of $8.50 per hour. The difference in their wages is about $0.25 an hour.   This is horrible!   A person who is serving our country should make more money than a person taking orders on a cash register!  If we are going to consider a wage increase, it is clear in this example who should be the beneficiary of minimum wage legislation...the soldier serving our country.

 When businesses are forced to pay their low-skilled employees $15.00 per hour instead of $8.50 per hour, it really hurts that business. It does not seem like much, but the employer is losing approximately $11,500.00 a year, per employee as demonstrated in the website,  (https://youtuand .be/9aCpaON5NyE).   To recoup the loss in revenue, businesses often reduce the number of employees on their payrolls.  While this helps their bottom line, the business may suffer because with fewer employees, business patrons have less access to customer service while shopping.  This could result in a loss of business.  

 While many people believe that it will be a burden to raise the minimum wage, many others believe that the raise of minimum wage will have a positive outcome both socially and economically.   If minimum wage is increased, low wage workers may not have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.  Supporters of the minimum wage increase suggest that if people do not have to work multiple jobs, the time they would have spent at work can now be devoted to their families, their education, or pursuing other interests that could benefit our nation.  Others say that although the working class could benefit from a raise in minimum wage, the benefit would be shadowed by the negative impact a wage increase would have on businesses.   A wage increase will force business to reduce their work force, resulting in people who are making some income to have no income.   We all remember what happened when the economy collapsed resulting in The Great Depression.  And, more recently, The Great Recession.   Is this what we want for the low-wage workers of America?

Future President, please consider that and overall raise of minimum wage will not be a good thing for both the minimum wage worker and business owners of the United States of America; we need to consider the risk and skill sets of the workers before raising wages.   I believe that someone who puts his or her life in danger to protect us should make more money than someone flipping burgers on a McDonald's grill.  If we do not make the distinction between skills and equitable wages, the minimum wage needs to stay right where it is!

Sincerely,

 Kody G.