After a long week of work, many KHS students sit down at their dinner table and open their paycheck. They are hoping for good tips and money they can spend in the upcoming days, but they are greeted with hardly $100. Missouri has been more sympathetic towards raising the state minimum to $12.30/hr compared to the federal minimum, being only $7.25/hr. Both of the candidates for the upcoming presidential election have been asked about raising the federal minimum to $15/hr. This would help teenagers thinking about college, paying for gas or saving for future expenses. Their policies though have varied from what others think is fair pay.
As of the 2024 presidential race, Trump has given no implication that he is going to do anything regarding change in the federal minimum wage. On his website, Trump laid out his 20 core promises to the American people titled Agenda 47. He goes over tax cuts, inflation and no tax on tips, but nowhere in his plan does it say anything about minimum wage. This could be disastrous for all Americans. With little control over wages along with rising inflation, limited authority could make the difference between success and failure in everyday life. Trump has based his political campaign on benefiting the working class and the everyday family, but it’s strange for his 2024 potential presidency he has not confirmed raising the minimum wage which would help the families he is insisting on protecting.
The most recent example of Trump’s policy towards minimum wage was during the 2020 presidential debate against Biden. “Alabama is different than New York. New York is different than Vermont,” Trump said. “ Every state is different, [so] it should be a state option.” Currently 34 states have a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum of $7.25/hr. Trump’s opinion that every state is different and that they should have the choice of what they make their specific minimum wage is completely valid. But leaving it completely up to the states getting rid of that safety net provided by the federal minimum will lead to immoral use of power, widespread economic problems and individual states losing revenue and falling apart. Establishing a federal minimum wage would eliminate worry for the working class and ensure everyone is receiving what they deserve for their work.
In her speech in Nevada on Aug. 10. Kamala Harris said “We will continue our fight for working families of America,” Harris said “Including [raising] the minimum wage and [eliminating] tax on tips for service and hospitality workers.”
There are many pros and cons to raising the federal minimum wage. A con would be the risk of businesses losing revenue which could lead to many lost jobs. This possibility is one that could set back the final decision, but the advantages that the American public gets five years down the line would outweigh any doubts. One of Harris’ policies on her website is her policy to implement tax cuts for small businesses. Implementing these cuts before changing minimum wage will shorten the risk of new business failing before they can start, but this still does not cut the risk out completely. During Harris’ presidential campaign she has often discussed her plan to help the working family to conquer issues with America’s economy. The federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009. Between the years of 2008 and 2023, the total inflation rate has gone up 36.6%. If Harris hopes to provide working families, then one of her starting points should be finding a successful way to raise the minimum wage so the risks are minimized.
I would strongly advise anyone in the position to vote in this upcoming election to research as much as you can about each of the presidential candidates policies. Luckily for Missouri, the state minimum wage is $12.30/hr, but that is not the case for everyone in America. When KHS students cast their ballots they should take into consideration how their choice sets the scene for the world they live in. These decisions will not just affect their lives for the next four years, but the entire American population. I hope that the next generation have decided to cast their ballot for all lives and not just their own.
