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What Is the Right Wage in Todays

Economy?
Peter Dunst

Abstract

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More than 45 million individuals are currently living in poverty in the United States.
Many of these individuals that fall below the poverty line are individuals working
minimum wage jobs trying to make ends meet from themselves and their families. If
these workers worked at a minimum wage of $10.10 it would put their yearly
income over the poverty line. In change this benefits the economy, and individuals
themselves as the standard of living is increased leading to individuals now having
more money in their pockets to spend on goods/services. These are the very
reasons why law makers are pushing for an increase in minimum wage. Individuals
against it argue that it is too big of a financial burden on companies, which an
increase in minimum wage will lead to the cutting of jobs and decrease in
production. This is a pressing issue to my peers and professor because the change
in minimum wage has an effect on all of us. It impacts us students because the
higher wages leave us with more money in our pockets to spend as we please and it
is pressing for my professor because an increase in wages will actually affect her
economic class due to the ripple effect in the economy from the raise in minimum
wage.

Gray, E. (2014). Wage Warrior. Time, 183(9), 38.

Rick Berman is a household names amongst those in congress and advocate
groups. He has made a name for himself as a master of public relations and as a
former lobbyist, he now protects the rights of small businesses. Ms. Gray is opposed
to the minimum wage being raised and uses Berman to persuade the reader that
the wage shouldnt be raised, discussing all of his arguments and attempts to get
the bill rejected. The author uses solely statistics, Bermans personal input, and
research studies to support her viewpoint on minimum wage, with the statistics
being more appealing as they are accompanied by images to appeal more to the
reader.
Gray did her research prior to writing this article as she is a credible author
due to her use of academic sources, statistics, and comments from individuals that
are highly credited in the field. In addition, she wrote this piece with the purpose to
appeal to the American public and those individuals with a higher academic
pedigree than most, as she published her work in Time Magazine, a decorated
Academic Journal. Bermans use as the main reference source throughout the article
really enforces the claim of the article, with him going as far as saying Quite
frankly, I think people should be
allowed to work for nothing (Gray, 2014, P.6). This quote by Mr. Berman shows the
direction of the article and opinion of the author in one sentence. But that
statement as well as his other statements are credible because he always supports
his claims with evidence and reasoning.
Wage Warrior is arguably the best source in my bibliography, despite it
supporting a decrease in minimum wage, because it comes from a very reputable

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source. The sources cited in the article are credible, as well as the author is
knowledgeable on the topic. In terms of how this source can contribute to my
research project despite it being from the opposing viewpoint is, it gives me reliable,
strong evidence when I have to discuss the arguments for why the minimum wage
should not be raised. Overall this source definitely opened my eyes more and made
me consider the opposing side when it comes to whether there should be a raise in
minimum wage.

Konczal, M. (2014). IT'S ONLY FAIR. Boston Review, 39(2), 30-35.

In ITS ONLY FAIR, Konczal attempts to persuade the reader that the
minimum wage should be increased due to little impact on employment as a result
of a higher wage, reducing inequality, and poverty alleviation. Minimum wage is a
bigger issue than most consider it to be and Konczal acknowledges this by bringing
it back to relevance with this article. Through the use of rhetoric appeals, the author
uses statistics, respected individuals such as Barack Obama, and research studies
to support that minimum wage should be increased. Despite his big push to
persuade, he does recognize and reason with the opposing viewpoints on minimum
wage, including citations supporting no increase on minimum wage.
Families and individuals living in poverty is becoming more and more of an
issue in todays society due to the large number of individuals that live below the
poverty line. Mr. Konczal agrees, making it very apparent that a 10 percent hike in
the minimum wage would reduce the number of people living in poverty by a
modest but significant 2.4 percent. It also shrinks the poverty gap how far people
are below the poverty line by 3.2 percent (Konczal, 2014, P.3). The author is
credible to cite this information because the source he retrieved it from is reliable

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and it is straight facts as opposed to an opinion. In addition, the statistics cited by
Konczal are based off recent numbers compiled by experts, and are directed toward
the American public and those in congress that have an impact on law making.
Konczals article can help me shape my argument because it uses many
valuable citations and sources that are beneficial to developing my opinion on
minimum wage. The sources that he used are what makes this article a valuable
source for me as I develop my research project, as the statistics, individuals, and
groups are all reliable and reputable since Mr. Konczal himself is not an expert on
minimum wage. In saying that, the work done by the author is stronger than most of
the other work in my bibliography. Weaknesses in this source are the author not
being a reliable source since he did not outline what credentials he held to report on
this topic, and the publishing company is not commonly known for its academic
sources therefore its reputability is still in question. Despite this, I still trust this
source and consider it to be one of my better ones, as Konczals work has just
supported my opinion on the debate over minimum wage that it should be
increased to $10.10.
Kurtzleben, D. (2014). The Cost of a Pay Raise. U.S. News Digital Weekly, 6(8), 6.
As the numbers regarding the effect of a hike in the minimum wage were
released, the reactions were mixed amongst the American population, as Kurtzleben
reports on the numbers and what they mean. The article is very factual based but
the author begins to form an opinion towards the conclusion supporting more of an
increase in minimum wage, not necessarily an increase to $10.10 but just an
increase above $7.25. Overall though the article was written to just inform the
American population of what can happen at different increments of increases in
wages and the pros/cons of an increase.

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Kurtzlebens work cannot be debated as he just cited facts and explained
what they meant in terms of the minimum wage bill. The Congressional Budget
Office was in charge of calculating the numbers of what could possibly happen if the
minimum wage bill were to come into effect, then interpreting the data found to
draw a conclusion. Raising the country's minimum wage could boost the incomes
of millions of Americans, but it could also potentially cut total employment by
hundreds of thousands of workers, according to a new analysis from the
Congressional Budget Office (Kurtzleben, 2014, P.1). Due to that statement from
the CBO, the information cited is also current or up to date with the current
information known by the public.
In conclusion, this article will be utilized as a reference article because it is
100% facts and has conclusions drawn from a reliable government agency that
produces the numbers. This source differs from my other sources because its not
biased or opinionated like the other sources in my bibliography. Which is good
because I know that when I need a fact to help support my claims during my
research project whether it be for either side, I can go to this source and find a
statistic I am looking for. In addition the statistics put forth by this source leave me
with something to think about as maybe $10.10 is too much too quickly and that it
should be raised to a lower amount first to see what happens, then if all goes well it
increases up to $10.10.
Lerner, M. (2014, March 20). A Living Wage -- Not a Minimum Wage. Retrieved
October 25, 2015.
Can an individual live off of only $15,080 per year? Can a family live off that
same amount? Yes except they would being in extreme poverty. Michael Lerner
describes this in his article regarding the minimum wage, how there is a major

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difference between the current minimum wage and the current living wage. His
main claim is that the minimum wage should be something that individuals and
families should be able to support themselves off of, not be a wage that is so low
hardly one person can live off of it. Adding a twist that there should be a
guaranteed annual income for anyone who is unable to work for whatever reason
(Lerner, 2014, P.1). The author supports his viewpoint by citing definitions, statistics,
reliable individuals in the field, and an academic press article. Using plenty of
evidence in the two pages to persuade the reader to raise the minimum wage to a
wage that an individual can actually sustain a decent living at.
Congress members are the main audience of this article as they are the ones
that have the ability to propose and motion for an increase in minimum wage.
Minimum wage workers are also being directly appealed too as they are the ones
dealing with these struggles, so if their voice becomes heard by congress, better
the chance a raise happens. Those working at a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, a
full-time worker makes only $15,080 in a year well below the poverty line for a
family of three (Lerner, 2014, P.1). That is a ridiculously low amount, and the more
baffling concept about that number is Lerner obtained it before taxes were
calculated, so after taxes that yearly income will only drop. This information along
with all the other cited information is reliable since it is recent, from academic
source, or from a reputable professional.
Alternative viewpoints were brought up with this article as I read it because of
its interesting take on how the minimum wage should be raised. Lerner believes it
should be raised to a living wage, where all individuals are able to live comfortably
at. As opposed to other sources in my bibliography that believe it should be raised
to get more people out of poverty and increase the standard of living. Lerners

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approach suggests that the wage should lift all individuals out of poverty adding in
the twist as well that individuals should get payed if they cannot work too. With this
idea, I now hold a new viewpoint on what the minimum wage should do which can
help me when I am developing an opinion for my research project. Overall this
source has supported my views on minimum wage but it has expanded my thoughts
on what the minimum wage can do for individuals and society.
Senate Republicans Block Bill To Raise Federal Minimum Wage. (2014). Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?
failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&dis
playquery=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Audio&limiter=&u=viva_jmu&currPage=
&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&
Is it morally wrong to block a bill that raises the minimum wage? Or is it more
of a financially smart tactic to block the bill? Democrat Chuck Schumer believes that
the low minimum wage is a moral issue, as many of those individuals working at
minimum wage are living in severe poverty. Republican Pat Roberts believes that
the minimum wage bill is a financially smart tactic to block as it will cost companies
jobs. This article is narrated by the reporter Alisa Chang, as she asks multiple
different congressmen that are both democrats and republicans about their opinion
on the blocked minimum wage increase bill. As this source is quite different there is
no claim being made, just opinions from individuals with firsthand knowledge of the
bill, which are being shared with the public.
Since the bill got denied these interviews were conducted by NPR on behalf of
the American public on the reasons why from each side it got shut down and what

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steps would be taken next towards the bill. Due to this source being all based off
interviews, the information produced from each individual will obviously be biased
but because individuals from both sides of the argument are being interviewed then
the reader is able to see the truth from both sides. John Cornyn of Texas said this
bill had nothing to do with helping people. It was all about politics. CORNYN: This is
about trying to make this side of the aisle look bad and hard-hearted, and to try to
rescue this midterm election coming up in November, because they see the
president's approval rating going down. CHANG: Minutes after the vote, Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid was already crystallizing the message Republicans had
sent to America. REID: They're fighting for the billionaires. We're fighting for the
people who are struggling to make a living (Senate Republicans Block Bill to Raise
Federal Minimum Wage, 2014). This shows the difference in opinion and truth
between individuals from two different political parties. In addition, the interviewer
interviews an individual working two jobs at minimum wage and the struggles of her
life as a parent of three, as well as attending school full time, which adds another
viewpoint to the bill being rejected.
Overall this source is completely different than all of my other sources
because the other sources are actual articles and this one is a series of interviews
that were documented. It adds diversity and a new viewpoint for myself about
minimum wage. These interviews provide me with an opinionated outlook and an
inside look at what went through the congressmens minds as they made their
decision regarding the bill. I can use this to enhance my research project because
now I have opinionated direct quotations from people who were the best debriefed
regarding the bill about why they chose the side they did. After listening and
considering the ideas mentioned by the individuals interviewed, I have not changed

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my viewpoint but I am more open to hearing more about why the minimum wage
shouldnt increase.

Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/IoKZ6SrDEX0

Images (general or specific, location if known): Dorm Room

Design (background color, font style, special effects):
Sounds (music, sound effects): Podcast, therefore talking/my voice
Narration/Text (the actual text that you would record to accompany this slide): Source
1 Wage Warrior
Learned: Rick Berman one of the best lobbyist, public relations guru,
statistics,
Position Still support increase despite very intriguing ideas to go against
Design of Web Page Solid section that is devoted to opposing viewpoint

Images (general or specific, location if known): Dorm Room

Design (background color, font style, special effects):
Sounds (music, sound effects): Talking
Narration/Text (the actual text that you would record to accompany this slide): Source
2 ITS ONLY FAIR
Learned Strikes, reducing inequality, poverty alleviation
Position For an increase in minimum wage, benefits society too much to
not increase it.
Design of Web Page Outline the poverty aspect as its big chunk of article

Images (general or specific, location if known): Dorm Room

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Design (background color, font style, special effects):
Sounds (music, sound effects): Talking
Narration/Text (the actual text that you would record to accompany this slide): Source
3 Cost of a Pay Raise
Learned Lots of statistics supporting both sides of the argument.
Conclusions drawn up by CBO
Position For an increase in minimum wage despite all the facts that say
otherwise.
Design of Web Page A solely statistics aspect/section on the website that
outline all the statistics for both sides of the argument.

Images (general or specific, location if known): Dorm Room

Design (background color, font style, special effects):
Sounds (music, sound effects): Talking
Narration/Text (the actual text that you would record to accompany this slide): Source
4 A Living Wage -- Not a Minimum Wage
Learned Living wage vs. Min Wage; Definitions,
Position Agree with increase, not with annual wage for people you cant
work
Design of Web Page include with section on increase, maybe separate
section/box on living wage

Images (general or specific, location if known): Dorm Room

Design (background color, font style, special effects):
Sounds (music, sound effects): Talking
Narration/Text (the actual text that you would record to accompany this slide): Source
5 Senate Republicans Block Bill to Raise Federal Minimum Wage
Learned Interesting takes/viewpoints on that article. All the individuals
have different opinion

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Position Still with increase despite some of the things congressmen said.
Design of Web Page Interview section