Political Quotes

“growing up, my mother was a single parent. She raised three children by herself. I know what it is like to run out of money at the end of the month, what it is like when every dime matters. The minimum wage is a poverty wage. Today, the minimum wage hasn't kept up with inflation. If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation in 1968, the minimum wage today would be $10.68. If you do the math, minimum wage workers today earn less than $15,000 per year. If you are supporting a child or an elderly parent, that is a family income below the Federal poverty line. Raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 would help lift nearly a million workers and their families out of poverty. In Hawaii, nearly 100,000 women would get a raise. This is especially important for women. More and more women serve as heads of households. And nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women. Nearly two-thirds of workers in tipped occupations are women. The situation is even more dire in Hawaii, where the cost of living is higher. In Hawaii, one out of five Hawaii women workers would get a raise if we raised the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. A person working full time making $7.25 per hour makes $14,500 per year. The average rent in Hawaii for a one-bedroom is $1,278. That is more than $15,000 per year. That is why many in Hawaii have to work more than one job. And there are stories all across the country of women struggling.…”