Upping the Minimum Wage

A Connecticut newspaper reports that the state has voted to increase the minimum wage in their state from $8.70 to $10.10 per hour by January 2017. That will be the highest minimum wage in the country; Washington is currently the highest with $9.32. 

“I am proud that Connecticut is once again a leader on an issue of national importance. Increasing the minimum wage is not just good for workers, it’s also good for business,” said Governor Malloy, a first-term Democrat facing re-election.

The white house stated that Connecticut is setting an example for other states that will hopefully follow. 

Because the minimum wage has taken so long to be changed, there is obviously reasons that support both sides of the argument. This story interests me personally because I work for minimum wage during the summer as a lifeguard. A change in Illinois's legislation could be extremely beneficial to me. However, I can see how it could be detrimental to the Wilmette park district, instead of the benefit to business that Governor Malloy anticipates. We have 32 lifeguards at the beach that make between 8-9 dollars an hour. Increasing our pay on an already tight budget would have effects on how many guards they can hire, how many hours we can work, the upkeep of the beach, training, ect. However, my situation is different than others because I don't live on the income from this job, like many people unfortunately do. An increase in minimum wage is necessary for them because $8.25 is not enough to live off of.