Minimum wage rates have been a problem for many years for the U.S. As it largely effects the economy, minimum wage is a major concern for everyone. On Tuesday Jeb Bush weighed in on why he thinks raising federal minimum wage is a problem, leading many critics to claim that he wanted to rid the U.S. of it. However, what Jeb Bush was really trying to accomplish was to simply let the public know why he is against federal minimum wage, and would rather let states set their own minimum wage.
Jeb Bush, along with other Republicans clearly stated that they are against raising the federal minimum wage. Bush made several statements in South Carolina, about how minimum wage should be left up to private sectors, leaving states to determine their own minimums. Evidence supports that many states have state-wide minimum wages that are already set at a higher standard than the federal minimum wage. But, according to sources, two states have a lower minimum wage standard, and some states have no state standard. As, states continue to raise the cost of living with or without raising minimum wage, citizens as well as economists have been fighting harder to win higher wages. Jeb Bush is actually fighting for that.
The Republican presidential candidate stated, that we are in a world where it is harder for people in poverty to move up, while the rich are doing really well. Though critics claim that if states set their own minimum wage standards, that there is no way to tell if they would actually raise them or just let them fall. Especially, if companies have a say in what the rates are, based on area, citizens may not be able to make it. The U.S. seems to have a structured plan that demonstrates how to raise minimum wage without leading to many job losses. However, non-credible critics, and corporate policies influence the blockage of increasing minimum wage.
Statements made by Bush reflect that he believes that the best way to handle minimum wage is to let states decide what it should be, based on each area, rather than the U.S. as a whole. Democrats seek to raise the federal minimum wage floor, as they have proposed raising it by the year 2020, but Bush stated that setting minimum wage standards are not something the federal government should be doing. This was a bold move considering that discussing minimum wage increases is a poll-driving tactic. But as campaigning will be going on until 2016, these discussions are far from disappearing.
So in response, Bush, along with other Republicans, decided to take the less traveled path of stating that they is against the rise of the federal minimum wage. His statements put fear in American citizens that if the federal wage limit is increased it will lead to job losses and the inability for young or educated people to get good jobs. He stated clearly that he thinks the current minimum wage is fine and expressed his fear that raising it would do more harm than good.
Many myths get passed throughout time to prove why minimum wage is not raised among individual corporate officials, but it is raised by a small percent that does not help citizens out in the long run. In the U.S. many laws are passed to control how and why minimum wage does not rise. Lawmakers cannot be questioned due to strict laws that protect them from public access.
With restricted access to fight the decisions of unlawful policies to ban raising minimum wage, the continue debate of “job losses,” instead of the proven structure will continue to win despite how proven the structure is. Reports also claim that raising the federal minimum wage does not mean job losses.
All of the debate between raising or not raising the federal minimum wages can only be described as a way to sway voters. Though Jeb Bush clearly made statements that he believes raising the federal minimum wage is a problem, according to his belief that it would harm the economy. Other Republicans agree with Bush on the matter. But that does not mean he wants to completely abolish the federal minimum wage, altogether. It simply means he has an opinion that differs from the Democrats proposal to increase the federal minimum wage.
By Krystle Mitchell
Sources:
