In The Real World

Some of you may think the above graphic is a bit over-the-top. I don't. It just illustrates in a real way just how much trouble many Americans are having.

The median household income in the United States is about $50,054. And remember, that is household income, not individual income. That means that at least half of all American households exist on less than $50,054 in income each year. That might not be so bad, but the problem is that far too many American households don't make anywhere near that much money each year.

In fact, about 25.06% of all American households make less than $25,000 a year. Let that sink in. One-quarter of all American households must survive on less than half of the country's median income. But it gets even worse. Millions of households must exist on minimum wage or less (about $15,000 a year). The percentage of households existing on less than $15,000 a year is a whopping 13.52% of all households (2011 Census Bureau statistics).

Considering these shameful statistics, is it any wonder that at least 20% of American children are being raised in poverty? Now some of you may be thinking that these people existing on minimum wage or less are just too lazy to work -- but that is not true. Most of them work hard at full-time jobs, but just aren't paid a livable wage. And anyone who thinks $15,000 a year is a livable wage should have to live on that for a year -- that would bring them to their senses in a hurry.

Unfortunately, too many members of Congress think the minimum wage should not be raised -- especially the Republican members. In fact, many of those GOP members of Congress would like to abolish the minimum wage and force workers to try and support their families on even less that $15,000 a year.

Of course these members of Congress don't have to support their families on a minimum wage salary. Most of them are millionaires, and even those few who aren't make about $174,000 in salary plus some very generous benefits. That salary alone puts them in the top 5.91% of household incomes.

How can a politician making a taxpayer-paid salary that puts them in the top 6% of income earners oppose raising the minimum wage to a decent level (about $10.10 an hour, or about $21,000 a year)? That raise would certainly not be exorbitant for a hard-working person. It would still leave them making far below half of the nation's median household income.

There is simply no excuse for paying a full-time worker a poverty wage (i.e., a slave wage). And any politician who opposes raising the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour (and tying that wage to the inflation rate) should be voted out of office this November.

NOTE -- Maybe we should consider tying the salary of members of Congress to a multiple of the minimum wage -- something like capping it at 7 or 8 times the minimum wage. That means they could not raise their own salary without also raising the minimum wage.