Should we raise the federal minimum wage

  Raising the national minimum wage has been a matter that many liberals have fought for many years. While I do believe that the minimum wage should be raised I don't think that it should immediately go up 15 dollars an hour. While there are currently some states that have successfully managed to raised their wage to $15, I don't believe that it's the case for all of the rest. Companies, especially smaller ones need time to adapt, so if a state goes from $7.25 directly to $15 then there will be a backlash of negative repercussions. Employers will be forced to cut workers hours or lay off employees. Another valid concern would be that fast food chains will push automated technology. From this perspective raising the minimum wage directly to 15 would only be counterproductive to those in poverty. There would be more competition for low skilled jobs leaving more people in poverty. However, that's not to say that the current minimum wage is acceptable. The Congressional Budget office has stated that an increase to a $10.10 wage would remove 900,00 people out of poverty. Perhaps a smarter approach would be to gradually increase depending on the state. For example, Seattle is currently a state with a minimum wage of $15 dollars an hour. They have gradually increased over time from $9 and hour. There is no simple answer to raising the minimum wage. Both the negatives and positives have to be considered when making a decision. Each state has drastically different economic factors that widely vary from state to state.