Letter to the Editor: We don't owe minimum wage workers anything

To the Editor:
I was shocked to hear that some people want to raise the minimum wage to $10/hour or even $15/hour. The TV showed protesters saying they need their wages raised because they can’t afford to support a family on what they are making. Do they really think working at McDonald’s or as a greeter at Wal-Mart was supposed to support a family? These jobs are low-paying jobs meant as a stepping stone to something better.
Do they really believe McDonald’s and Wal-Mart can afford to raise their wages like that? If McDonald’s paid $15/hour, what would a Big Mac cost? McDonald’s will just modernize so they won’t have so many people working and Wal-Mart just won’t have greeters.
In effect, these people are shooting themselves in the foot. If we pay $15/hour for flipping burgers, what would we have to pay trained people, like a back-hoe operator, plumber, carpenter or secretary?
These people are more of the “you owe me something” groups that have become so common. We don’t owe you anything. If you want to better your circumstances, get training and then a better job. That’s the way things are supposed to work. You have to make an effort to better your position, not just make the mainly part-time jobs pay better. You have to earn a better paying position, not just make the rest of us pay your way.
When I grew up, the government taking from the rich and giving to the poor wasn’t called better government; it was called socialism and I was glad to be living in the USA. What is happening to our country? Better wake up America.

Mona Day
Lansing