Did anyone see Oprah yesterday about the working poor?

Question

Did anyone see the Oprah show yesterday about the working poor? It breaks my heart to think that 300 million people in the US are working full time jobs and still living below the poverty level (~10% of the US population). I think that is enough evidence to show that it is necessary to raise the minimum wage. What do you think?

Oops! My bad....it was 30 million, so it's only 1% of the American population....but that still seems like too many to me.

As far as the price of products going up, I don't think that is necessary. There are lots of studies that have been conducted on Walmart, just as an example, that show that they could raise their employees' wages and provide health insurance without having to raise prices.

Livedinthe80s- I sorta thought the same thing...I was expecting her to help them out in the end. I guess she didn't want to make them feel worthless, though...a lot of people don't like to be pitied and that would definitely be pity.

Answer 1

I did not see Oprah, but even 8 or 9 dollars an hour is not enough to support a family. Not to mention if your company does not provide health insurance or sick pay. It is hard to be the working poor because often times you don't make enough to make ends meet, but you make too much to qualify for any programs that would help you get ahead.

There are so many people in this situation and it is devastating. I believe minimum wage should be higher, healthcare mandatory and for the "haves" to give just a little of their time, or talent, or toll.

Answer 2

Yes I watched it and I commend Oprah for doing it. My husband and I married at a younf age. I was 16 he was 19. My husband went on to college and got a bachelors degree and also joined the military. Still after all that we just now make just a little over the poverty level. We lived for years well below the poverty level and it is very hard. It's amazing to me how minimum wage has not gone up in over 10 years but inflation has risen dramticly. Also congress sure don't mind giving themselves raises but refuse to do the rest for us Americans who actualy work. We are sending billions and billions of dollars over seas for war and relief aid, yet we have sick, starving and homeless Americans right here in each and every city in America. People have the assumption that people on the poverty level are lazy, uneducated, and don't want to work. That is so far from the truth. Truth is the poor work 10x harder then anyone with a higher level job. And don't say it's because they went to school and thats why they have a better job. My husband went to school and worked full time and just in the last year has he gotten a pay just barely above poverty. Even with a college degree it is very difficult to get a job paying enough to pay all these taxes were taxed for, pay back our student loans for getting an education, then paying for the gas that goes in our car, then were suppose to have enough left to eat, and pay our rent. YA RIGHT!!

Answer 3

I wanted to see it but missed it, Dang it!!!
Anyway, I live it everyday. I dont know that raising minimum wage will help much because that just raises the prices of everything else. If my pay goes up so does my rent... how do u fix that?
There are so many families one paycheck away from being homeless. It is heartbreaking. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Guess that's why Clinton made fun of the tax break for the rich that GW gave.

Answer 4

I saw it too and recognized it as a reality. The minimum wage is about to be raised again - but it's never enough.
By the way, the figure was 30 million not 300.
Have a nice day.

Answer 5

I think raising the minimum wage will only raise prices and that will in the end keep the working poor exactly where they are today. We have to encourage kids to stay in school and strive harder so that they don't end up working jobs that pay less than a living wage.

Answer 6

If you raise minimum wage then companies will raise the cost of their goods to preserve profits.... and the vicious cycle repeats itself. When my husband was in the military we were on food stamps and my son got free lunch at school. Where we lived there were no jobs for me ( as if I could afford daycare ) and of course the Army would not let my husband get a second job. I know of alot of people in different fields in the same situation. It is sad, all you can do is change careers or go to school.

Answer 7

Persoinally I think that it is heartbreaking to think millions of people live this way. Our goverment seems as though they don't care. Now the blame is not totally on them, but they can also make some changes seeing as how it's been alsome 10 years since minimum wage was raised.

Answer 8

If we raise minimum wage, don't you think prices for products would go up as well? I think we should start lowering the cost for education so ppl can afford a better education to get better jobs! Also, jobs should consider putting up a day care center or help pay for workers' day care payments.

Answer 9

The House just passed a law raising the minimum wage to 7.25 an hour. But it will be struck down in the Senate because they attatched it to a law giving the rich kids larger inheritances.

Answer 10

YEP > im one of them welfare to work single moms. I work for Kmart ( a billion dollar a year company ) I work minimum wage, this is how they get so rich....by running on minimun wage workers. thats foul because corporate companys pay alot more to thier workers . There should be a law that has large deparment stores raise thier minimum wage. At my store they only hire part time , no benifits , no overtime , HOWEVER they worked me 40 hours this week.