Jay Newton: Republicans have refused to allow minimum wage to keep up with inflation

To The Daily Sun,

President Joe Biden, Sen. Maggie Hassan and Congressperson Chris Pappas are doing the right things to improve our economy. We have high inflation, meaning goods cost about 8% more than they did a year ago but we also have very low unemployment.

Our current inflation is caused mainly by COVID, supply chain, Ukraine, price gouging.

Biden has done many things to help. First, for COVID, which really started the whole problem, he helped end it with vaccinations and he provided the third stimulus. Not paying people when they could not work would have been cruel and unfair, but the stimulus also helped drive up prices and the other factors are keeping them there.

COVID also changed the worker/employee relationship. People want to work, but not for wages that won’t pay the bills so employers are raising wages suddenly which increases inflation.

This is a Republican-caused problem. Since 1968, they have refused to allow the minimum wage keep up with inflation. If they had, it would now be $26 per hour. If you made that or more, inflation would not be affecting you nearly as much and steady, expected wage increases do not adversely affect inflation.

But, thanks to Republicans, it is not $26/hour. So Biden, Pappas and Hassan have passed the Inflation Reduction Act which will reduce energy, health care and drug costs. Biden worked with other nations to increase the gas supply reducing the price. Chris Pappas passed a bill streamlining our supply chain. Maggie Hassan passed a bill that eliminates surprise medical bills.

The Republican plan to fix all this? Eliminate women’s rights, social security, Medicare, VA benefits and still not raise the minimum wage.

For continued proactive policies that make our lives better, vote for Democrats up and down the ballot on Nov. 8.

Jay Newton

Gilford