North Carolina's minimum wage is currently $7.25, whereas Mcdonald's Big Mac meal averages $8. By these standards, a citizen cannot even afford to feed himself for two days after working a four-hour shift. In a world where many businesses rely on the state's minimum wage to delegate their own wages, citizens deserve to be given the chance to support themselves. By raising the minimum wage by only a few dollars, the state will be making changes that could differentiate between poverty and health for many working citizens.