Enough to live on: Will Perkins on the minimum wage

It’s a pretty simple proposition—a full-time worker ought to be able to live on the pay received for that job. Still, there is plenty of debate about the issue, with words flying around in every direction. Reporter Will Perkins states his position in this September 2017 essay in the Richmond Register of Kentucky.

Read it here: Perkins, “Millennial thoughts: Minimum wage and my take”

1. Perkins states his argument very clearly—“If you work full-time in America, you should be able to live here, too.” That is, all full-time work should provide a living wage adequate to pay for life’s necessities. How does Perkins support his argument? What evidence and/or examples does he provide? Is the argument well made? Why or why not?
2. Perkins is writing for a small-circulation local newspaper in Kentucky. What might he need to do differently (if anything) if he wanted to publish his essay in a larger paper such as the New York Times or the Washington Post? Why do you think so?
3. Employing the strategy described in Chapter 6 of your text, Perkins plants many naysayers in his essay. Read (or re-read) the chapter sections titled “Represent Objections Fairly” and “Answer Objections.” How well does Perkins’s essay follow those suggestions? Are the objections represented fairly? Are the objections answered? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.
4. According to Perkins, many people believe that fast food workers should not receive “any more than the seven or eight dollars [per hour] that most of them currently make.” What do you think? What would be a fair hourly wage for a full-time fast food worker in your area? Write an essay that addresses that question and takes a clear position. Use Perkins as your They Say, as well as any other sources you consider appropriate.

Comments

[JBF]

4) What I do not understand is why a job that doesn’t require a degree or even a high school diploma, for that matter, a job that only require one to be older than 16 than why should they not be paid minimum wage. Why is their work only worth no more than 7 or 8 dollars an hour? If the minimum wage is 11 dollars pêr hour they should be getting paid those 11 dollars, no more no less. Most of the people working at fast food restaurants are either teenagers or people who did not have the means to go to college or it is the only job they could get to support their family. I think its unfair to determine who gets minimum wage or not because a lot of times that’s the only job someone could get so they should be able to be paid fairly and equally.

[Kelly]

a person who is working in a fast food restaurant should get minimum wage, because that is what they deserve. Even though they may not have gone to college because they could not afford it, they should still be paid minimum wage. they should be paid fairly.why would you pay someone under minimum wage if they are working a full time job. they should not be paid over minimum wage because they did not further their education. I believe that if you want to be paid over minimum wage than you should take the effort to further your education to get that opportunity ti get a higher paying job. I don't think that it is right to take advantage of people in the fast food industry and not pay them what they deserve because whether you believe it or not, they work really hard.

[Jacob]

4.I dont think that 7 dollars is enough money to make a living. Just because they didnt farther their educations does not mean they should make so little. One of my coworkers works at Wendys with his wife, both there full time, and he has to work two jobs to make payments. Just because the job is expected to be worked by teenagers supported by their parents doesnt mean all of the workers have their living expenses paid for. A argument for pay should never be made based on the age of the employees, that is unconstitutional and discrimination.

[Rayan Abuharah]

Is the wage measured at a higher or lower limit? What is happening a loophole in which the economy did not plot the cost of living for the individual and his salary, which must be continued according to the course of change and development of prices through an actual study and transparent (inflation) and not be silent until the explosion? Not to mention that looking at the side of the economic equation without the other harms the economy as a whole before it hurts the worker. Exit from the capital box serves capital to the square of justice between the owner of money and the worker.

[Pavel]

This is really interesting topic, where author finally touching such a interesting idea of unfair situation in our society. You can work hard and productive whole you live but you will still stay at the line where you barely can cover your basic needs. And in my opinion this is awful. So many people just stuck in minimum wage gap,where they are can't afford normal life conditions and goods. Especially young people who studying in college or school, a lot of kids can't go in the normal university just because their parents can't afford it. This is why so many people staying working at the fast food for a long time, where they're spending whole free time just for gain some money on living or school. And i was working in a restaurant for a 6 month. I want to say honestly, that was worst time in my life.

[Cem Erturk]

I do not think workers are getting paid fairly in these days. First of all I do not believe that seven or eight dollars is not acceptable thing for fast-foot workers. In my opinion, the wage should be increased for them or all the wages has to be same for the all workers. Does not matter if it is Starbuck, Popeyes or Wendy's. I totally believe to writer that if the people work 40 hours a week, I think they can sustain their life. Sometimes people look to places names and popularities for where to drink and where to eat. I think that absolutely wrong because foods or drinks can be more tastier or more cheaper at the less known places than popular places.

[Turki]

i believe that and i strongly agree because of you work alot you live longer and work on your self

[Abdulelah Sawari]

I strongly believe that you will never get experienced without working hard and the wage should be increased for workers

[Abdulrahman Aldossary]

I think that yes, people who contribute to society for a majority of their time during the week should have enough to survive. However, how do we determine survival and what kind of quality of life should a fast-food worker experience compared to a tech exec? This is where it can get complicated but it is an idealistic point of view to say the least. Everybody has to take losses and make gains in this life. The nature of our reality is innately competitive and there seems to be an unwritten universal law that everyone gets what they deserve. It is dictated by the amount of strategic work they can do to achieve results.

[Erica Garcia Silva]

Although many people say that because they didn't study fast-food workers should be paid the minimum wage, this idea is completely unjust due to the fact that many of these people did not choose to stay uneducated. Whether it due to cost or when they immigrated to America, some people could never even entertain the idea of going to college. While education level should continue to play a part in wages when it comes to people receiving minimum wage we must consider not only education, but location as well. Whether or not they have a degree we have to pay these people enough to be able to support themselves and their family wherever they reside. Minimum wage should be calculated based off of living costs in the area. If a situation exists where a family is in debt and both parents have two jobs, our minimum wage laws are failing us. We need to stop looking at these workers as uneducated employees who made bad decisions, and start looking at them as human being trying to make a living to support families or even to try and save enough to get educated.

[MAX]

I think if Perkins want to publish it as what New York Times does, first, he should write his essay in a formal way. For example, the first paragraph can consist of the stance on this issue and a brief introduction. The second and third paragraphs can provide some positive examples and strong points to support the idea. The fourth one can provide negative examples and try to convince the protesters. The fifth one is the conclusion. Actually, I think Perkins’s essay is a little colloquial because there are lots of questions in his essay. It’s more like a conversation between the readers. Perkins’ essay just delivers an idea not provide a specific and formal information about minimum wage. Giving more specific information about the minimum wage to the reads is another way to improve the essay. For example, how does minimum wage affect the life condition? Last, examples are also important. A good example can help the author convince the reads and the article might become more persuasive.

[david williams]

Perkins has attracting views on raising minimum wage. similar to a Venus fly trap ,his words work in the same manner as the nectar that attract the insects. Perkins proposed that no matter the job as long as people working minimum wage put in 40 hours, they should get an livable wage. the question is ,what is an livable wage. according to the federal poverty level is $23,050 for a family of four. That's equivalent to $10.60 per hour for a full-time worker. that's consider a livable wage. basically what Perkins wants to do is remove people from below poverty line to the poverty line. the dilemma hear is when the workers start becoming expensive.

[Mary Rios]

I disagree with the people that say that fast food workers should not receive no more than seven or eight dollar. They should be getting the minimum wage like everyone else. Just because they work in the fast food industry does not mean they should be getting seven or eight dollar. The people that usually work at fast food restaurants are teenagers or students who did not go to college. Teenagers get a job at fast food restaurant to earn extra cash while going to High School and to gain work experience. There are students who cannot afford to go to college, so they go work at fast food restaurant to earn money to be able to go to college. Most of the people cannot get certain types of jobs because they do not have experience or do not have a degree, so that is why they work at a fast food restaurant. Some people depend on their fast food job to feed their family because that is their only income. People that work at fast food restaurant should be paid fairly like anyone else working a full time job. It is not right to take advantage of people just because they work at fast food restaurant, they deserve do get paid the minimum wage. We are all equal and should be paid the same for a full time job. We all deserve to get paid fairly, if the minimum wage is $15, then that’s what we should all get paid, no more or no less. We should all get paid equally in order to be able to pay for our living expenses and necessities that we need in order to live in America.

[Mataya Rosander]

Everyone should not be paid the same amount. A high school student looking for some extra cash and working a low end job should be paid minimum wage. Minimum wage shouldn't be able to support a living but should be able to help. Also, a hard working father who went to school, graduated form college, has work experience and is willing to work hard, should be getting enough income to live here in America. It's crazy to think that someone who is contributing so much to the economy is struggling to survive in it.

[danielle ranae]

Any full time job should be given enough money to be able to live. Whether you work fast food, retail, or have a higher end job that pays really well, if it's full time you should be able to pay rent or a house payment, etc. If you only work part time because you are a college student, still in high school, whatever reason, you shouldn't have to make enough an hour. Part time workers don't need the extra income obviously because they either don't have time for it, or they're too busy to work more than twenty-five hours a week. I disagree with people thinking that everyone should start out and work at the same rate of pay. If you work more than everyone else there and are putting in more hours, you should get more money than the others.

[Mason Ward]

I disagree with everyone saying that fast food workers should be getting paid more then minimum wage. Jobs that pay minimum wage do this because they do not require very much skill or effort. These jobs are for people getting back on to their feet of for high school age kids. Parents of families need to find job that they are able to live off of. For instance the railroad, shipyards, and mines all pay above minimum wage and require no experience just effort. Nobody wants to work, everyone just wants to be given what they need. This is why I believe if someone is unhappy with their salary and they work a McDonald's they can not blame anyone except for them selves.

[Cheikh]

I agree with the author in the way that the minimum wage should be raised in United States to permit to everyone who works to afford a stable life.
we should rethink a minimum wage because I believe everyone even a server in a fast food should be able to take care of his family because they are working for it.

[Cheikh]

Perkins support the fact that everyone working full-time in America should be able to live here too by stating, “ If you are an American and you spend most of your week doing something productive for our society, I firmly believe you should be able to afford to live here.” Which mean even if people do not have diploma and participate in the economy of their society they should be rewarded enough. Another example he gave was: “lot of the people who think fast-food workers don’t deserve a raise seem to be the same ones who frequent fast-food restaurants. I only bring that up because if you frequent a type of business, that industry must be pretty important to your daily or weekly routine.” in other words, even if they have little jobs that do not required any experience at least they are here to do it and are important because without them you could not have the service you have so we should pay them enough in exchange. The argument is well made and illustrated with good examples.

[Joel Lara Martinez]

It is fascinating that people actually believe it is okay for employees to be paid 7 or 8 dollars. I agree with the naysayers Perkins included in his article, students in high schools should not be paid a whole lot for temporary positions. But in some cases, there are older folks still working in these establishments. It wouldn’t be fair if people got different wages based on their age but for the same work tasks, so this is a fairly complicated issue. Nonetheless, the wages being earned nowadays are nearly not enough for living expenses and leisure time.

If you have never worked at a fast food establishment, then you have absolutely no say in what is a good hourly wage for employees working in those establishments and other direct work intensive establishments. It can be very frustrating dealing with customers at a fast food establishment. Customers always think they can get away with anything just because they think they’re right. They look down at the employees, but they sure know that without them, they would not be eating that specific meal. That is one of the main reasons why the minimum wage should be higher than 7 or 8 dollars-- because every employee has a specific task that will benefit the customers. For example, if there were no one flipping the patties, would the customers be able to eat their hamburgers?

I agree with Perkins when he stated that if the minimum wage were to increase, as would the cost of the products. But that seems pretty fair to me. If you really think about it, the cost of living is always going up. So why not just increase the pay now? There should definitely not be a drastic increase, but there needs to be something done about this wage inequality between minimum wage jobs.

[Jeffrey Vasquez]

Perkins makes a good point that earning seven to eight dollars an hour while working 40 hours a week isn’t enough to be considered a livable wage. He argues that the same people who say fast food workers shouldn’t get a raise are the same people who frequent the stores. He says that these people frequent these businesses so, why not give the workers a livable wage so that they can continue to service you. The author uses Starbucks as an example of a progressive company that offers benefits to their employees. He also mentions that if the price of the burgers were to go up to due the increase in pay then you can simply go the local grocery store and make your own.
His argument is well made but his solution is a bit extreme. His solution involves a perfect world where everyone can get paid a livable wage for doing any job. He mentions that there will always be people who abuse the system but that it’s an inevitable thing. I agree with him that the wealth gap in this country Is getting out of hand but I his ideas might not fit with everyone. He said he doesn’t mind spending a good chunk of his paycheck on a societal safety net, but would others agree with spending a good amount of their hard-earned money for others?

[Tim Stein]

I know that the idea that every man forges his own destiny is deeply embedded in the American culture and I really support that. However, it shouldn’t mean, that one man can not help another man at least start the forging furnace to forge his own destiny. Therefore, I’m going to provide you with several reasons, why a raise of the minimum wage is overdue.

Critics say that a minimum wage of eight or nine dollars is pretty good and in absolute terms, this might be correct. However, considering an inflation rate of two percent and the minimum wage last being raised in 2009, people working under minimum wage conditions earn much less than the minimum wage stated in absolute terms. Also, we need to consider the different cost of living in different states of the U.S. For example, the costs of living in California are significantly higher than those in Arkansas or West Virginia. Many people would argue, that the individual states installed different minimum wages to adjust to this situation. But, according to a study in no state, a minimum wage worker can afford a two-bedroom unit at fair market rents working a standard 40 hours work week.

Also, many economists say that that raising the minimum wage will increase the unemployment rate. I, on the other hand, say, that companies consider their employees as a capacity and firing their employees in short-term means a decrease in capacity. Also, people fail to consider the spending power effect that a raise of the minimum wage has. People tend to spend the money they earn immediately, so more money means more sales for businesses. Therefore, by increasing the income of people, firms kickstart the economy.

Looking at minimum wages, there always seems to be two sides: The employees requesting higher loans and the employers. They usually claim that minimum wages make their business less profitable. Well, I at least consider loans not only a cost factor but also an opportunity for companies to motivate their employees. By increasing their income, employers can show their subordinates how much and that they value the job they are doing. Overall this increased motivation will result in a higher work quality and output.

So, overall there are many good reasons for companies to fairly pay their employees well. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but also for the sake of their current and future business.

[Giovanni Cuellar-Garcia]

Will Perkins the author of Millenial Thoughts: Minimum wage and my take states that many people in society are against raising the minimum wage for employees working in fast food restaurants. Perkins believes that workers who have a full-time job should be capable of supporting themselves; therefore, the minimum wage rate should increase to $15 per hour. I agree with Perkins in the sense that $15 should become the minimum wage rate for anyone working a minimum wage job because of the cost of living being so high and especially in California. Another reason why the minimum wage should be raised is to benefit businesses with increased revenues.
On the website bestplaces.net, it shows the cost of living in Santa Cruz, California. The average price for a home in Santa Cruz is $917,000 (bestplaces.net, n.d.). The city of Santa Cruz has a higher average cost than all of California, and yet we still don’t raise the minimum wage rate to $15 an hour. Teo Spangler, the author of How Much is Minimum Wage in California, states that an individual who works 52 hours per week will earn almost $21,000 per year (Spengler, 2018). The minimum wage is currently averaging about $10.50 in California. From these statistics its clear that there is a massive gap between the amount people earn working in minimum wage jobs to the ability to afford a home in the city of Santa Cruz. Research also shows that raising the minimum wage can also have a positive impact on businesses.
In an article titled What will a higher minimum wage do? Two new studies have different ideas written by Natalie Kitroeff clarifies that even though retailers and restaurants will incur higher labor costs due to an increase in the minimum wage will result in an offset because of increased consumer spending (Kitroeff, 2017). People always argued that paying $15 an hour will affect businesses and as a result, will charge higher prices. Well, that statement becomes meaningless if businesses are getting more customers who are willing to spend more for a fancier meal.
There are many reasons why the minimum wage should rise to $15 an hour. Buying a home in Santa Cruz is amazingly expensive, and people are not earning enough to pay for a house. Businesses may benefit from paying their employees $15 in wages this may also attract customers thus increasing profits. 

[Hericberto Zarate Cruz]

I completely agree with the idea that everyone who works should make a decent living, no matter what job they hold. Perkins stated, “If you are an American and you spend most of your week doing something productive for our society, I firmly believe you should be able to afford to live here”(Perkins, 2017). The idea that people today still struggle to make a living in one of the most powerful countries in the world, is extremely sad and depressing. One should be able to achieve the “American dream”, whether that’s owing your house, a business, or simple buying a car, with a decent wage. Raising the minimum wage to at least $15/hour, will ensure that more people have the opportunity to do so. According to a study done by UC Berkeley researchers, “California will actually gain jobs because of the minimum wage hike”(kitroeff, 2017). The study conducted by UC Berkeley was done in Fresno, CA, one of the poorest counties in California. If the study concluded positive results on one of the poorest counties, one can conclude that positive outcomes will result if everyone in the US made at least $15/hr.
When it comes to fast food restaurant employees, there seems to be a divided argument on whether they should earn more than the seven or eight dollars they are most likely currently making. According to the article by Perkins, “They say it’s a job for high school students. It’s a stepping stone. You’re supposed to work there until you can get a “real” job”(Perkins, 2017). People fail to understand that working in a fast food restaurant is a real job, just like any other. People using this as an excuse to allow this injustice, should think of the less fortunate, who can’t get a “real” job, because they can’t even make enough money to live. One should think about the equal treatment of everyone in society and how excluding and making it hard for someone to climb the ladder out of poverty is going against the belief that everyone deserves a shot at their American dream. There is a great amount of judgment towards individual who can’t get a different job, other than fast food restaurants, but should that be sufficient to not allow them to earn a decent salary? According to Perkins, “I know this goes against every American capitalistic ideal — and I may be called a communist for this — but I wish that every member of society could just do whatever they are good at and be compensated enough to survive”(Perkins, 2017). The right for everyone in society to be able to make a decent living should not be considered a communist ideal, rather a basic human right.
Many of the individuals who believe fast food restaurant employees should get a raise, also buy from these establishments, if given the option the majority would not take these jobs for the wages these people earn or even buy the ingredients to make the food, it is more convenient for them to purchase a burger, instead of making it themselves. Perkins said, “I grew up in a two-parent household and I was given all the chances in the world to be successful and where I am today. My parents served as a safety net for me when times were tough” (Perkins, 2017). Many Americans had the support of their parents, and never had to worry about getting a “real” job because these individuals had the means to afford college and get a decent paying job. Given that cost of living has drastically increased, making people who have “real” jobs struggle to pay rent, it would only make sense to help everyone achieve a fair wage to not struggle with a basic necessity, such as rent
Although affording housing, with a decent wage, should be considered a basic human right, there are others who might argue that, “the minimum wage increase did lead businesses to fire existing low-wage workers and reduce hours” (Kitroeff, 2017). The argument that business could be affected is valid; however, this can be adjusted by the amount of money people will have to spend, allowing business to flourish instead of being negatively affected. According to Perkins, “Starbucks is an example of a progressive company that offers its workers benefits. We all hear people complaining about how expensive their coffee is — my co-worker, Daniel Suddeath, often refers to it as “Five Bucks””(Perkins, 2017). Business have shown to adapt and to meet the higher wages, they often need to raise their prices. Starbucks has shown that it can be a successful company and still afford to pay a decent wage to its employees and benefits as well. Therefore, guaranteeing a decent wage will make society stringer and allow business to be more successful.

References:
Perkins, W. (2017, September 09). Millennial Thoughts: Minimum wage and my take. Retrieved October 10, 2018, from http://www.richmondregister.com/news/millennial-thoughts-minimum-wage-and-my-take/article_fff7c4e8-94f0-11e7-9b4c-4b1df8916279.html
Kitroeff, N. (2017, January 11). What will a higher minimum wage do? Two new studies have different ideas. Retrieved October 10, 2018, from http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-impact-minimum-wage-20170110-story.html

[carlee sichel]

William Perkins, the writer of Millennial Thoughts: Minimum Wage explains his thoughts on minimum wage. He argues that if someone works a 40 hour week, they deserve to be able to support themselves and have a decent living situation. I absolutely agree with his writing because it does seem unfair that someone can spend 40 hours inside a work environment and still not be able to afford rent. And yes, there are many arguments against this idea and Perkins is also aware of this. He states that he is merely "wishful thinking", he is aware there is no perfect world and there is always going to be people struggling and not making enough even working 40 hours. If minimum wage increased so would many other expenses for people every day, and that is a big argument. It is a nice thought though. I was working 40 hours a week and still not even making enough to pay for community college and my car insurance at the same time, so I feel very strongly about this idea.
My other thought on this: if everyone who worked 40 hours a week could support themselves, would a college education still be as important to people as it is today? After thinking about it, I would still say yes. That's up to each person if they want to strive for more, if there is the possibility of making more money than just a decent living. I know that I still would, but I am not sure about others. I do believe that whoever you are, if you work full time you should be able to support yourself.

[Caleb Holliday]

Perkins indirectly claims that employees should be paid higher wages based on the time worked by the employee. I disagree, capitalism is structured to build a competitive economy. I believe that an employee should be paid/hired based on the skills and education that the employee "brings to the table" so to speak.