Decent pay

Opponents of bringing the minimum wage in line with today's economy often say a wage hike will destroy small business. (They also argue that most businesses already pay higher wages anyway, an argument that completely contradicts the first point -- but I digress.)

A reader of the Raleigh News & Observer writes this letter today in response:

DECENT PAY

Regarding the federal minimum wage, I am a small business owner and I am proud to say that my lowest-paid employee makes $8 per hour. With only 11 employees, things are tight, to say the least. If I can find a way to be fair with my employees in rural Eastern North Carolina, why can't our government?

Try driving to work and raising a family on minimum wage. My guys make me money, and I try to share the "wealth" with them. It is time we gave more consideration to the folks who helped make this country what it is. The USA was made on the back of the working man; now it is time to rub the sore muscles that have carried the burden.

We can spend millions trying to impose our will on people halfway around the world, yet we cannot support our own working class.

Malcolm Davis
Mount Olive