Readers: Gov Greitens Should Veto Minimum Wage Bill

Nearly 85% of those who voted in the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll disagreed with the statement that Gov Greitens should sign the bill that would strip St. Louis of setting its own minimum wow higher than that of the state. More than half picked the “strongly disagree” option.

Here’s the final breakdown:

Q: Agree or disagree: Gov Grietens should sign the bill limiting the minimum wage to the same $7.70/hr statewide.

• Strongly agree 2 [6.25%]
• Agree 1 [3.13%]
• Somewhat agree 1 [3.13%]
• Neither agree or disagree 0 [0%]
• Somewhat disagree 3 [9.38%]
• Disagree 7 [21.88%]
• Strongly disagree 17 [53.13%]
• Unsure/No Answer 1 [3.13%]

A thriving economy has goods/services being exchanged at good pace. Those with minimum wage jobs spend every dollar they get:

Those in the bottom 30% of the income scale make an average of $14,000 a year, including the value of many government benefits like food stamps or disability payments. But they spend more than $25,000, or 182%, of their annual income mostly on basic needs like housing, food and transportation, according to a CNNMoney analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. 

Worth noting is that this group includes senior citizens, who supplement their income from Social Security with savings, and students, who turn to mom and dad for help. Also, research shows that some underestimate how much aid they receive from the government. 

But the data also includes many low-income families and individuals who just don’t make enough to get by. Often, they have to decide what bills to pay or they turn to payday lenders or credit cards. (CNN/Money)

This is 182% of their income, while the rich only spend 61% of their income. For the middle class it’s 89%. If we pay those at the bottom a little more the money will circulate through the economy — not sit in accounts here and abroad. Foe nearly 40 policies of both Republicans & Democrats have eroded the middle class and condemned the poor to a life of struggling to stay afloat.

St. Louis needs an improved economy — paying workers more is the best way to do so. Please contact Gov Greitens immediately and let him know he should veto the minimum wage bill.

— Steve Patterson