Recently my wife, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, and I joined other Democrats taking the "Minimum Wage Challenge" to call attention to how difficult it is to live on today's minimum wage. We worked very hard at trying to live on the $77 per week of discretionary income that the average minimum wage worker has to buy groceries, transportation, gas, pet food, entertainment, clothing, cleaning, etc. We still went over by about $5.
The "Minimum Wage Challenge" makes it really clear how little workers take home who work hard flipping burgers, cleaning hotel rooms, or bussing tables. Some small examples: One trip a day to Starbucks costing $3.25 per visit -- that many people take for granted -- would gobble up $22.75 or 30 percent of that $77. A five-dollar meal at Subway each day would consume $35 or almost half of the $77. The fare on the DC metro five times a week, eats up almost a third of the $77 just trying to get to and from work at the minimum wage job.
Typical Rat: instead of working with Republicans to increase job opportunities, his wife opts for a cheap photo-op.
Starbucks and Subway were never formed to cater to the minimum wage crowd.
There are many reasons why people are stuck in minimum wage jobs, but first and foremost, they don't have the skills to compete for higher wage jobs. If you think I'm going to pay $15 for a Happy Meal for my grandson, you're out of your mind.
I don’t remember reading anywhere in the Constitution that you have a right to go to Starbucks or out to eat. I remember times when going out was out of reach after buying groceries, rent, and gas. Problem is that most think it is a right and that you deserve to go out whether you pay for it or not. These same people have iPhones, cable, and internet.