My personal experience with the affects of the Federal Minimum-Wage is very close to home. My aunt has worked at minimum-wage for a very long time, and my uncle just got fired, forcing him to work at minimum-wage as well. Two people working full time at minimum-wage is still not enough to support themselves and their child. They have to resort to food stamps and food shelves to make it by. Furthermore, money is all that is ever on their minds. They are not functioning citizens because of their financial struggles.

However, this is not a petition to create pity for my family. This is just one example that has helped me open my eyes to how important and relevant H.R.-1010 is. The Federal Minimum-Wage rate is a real issue that needs a real solution, and not just talk.

If worked full-time, a minimum-wage worker is only able to earn $14,500 a year. This amount is below the poverty line. In order to improve the living conditions of millions of workers and lower food stamp spending by $4.6 billion yearly, the minimum-wage must be raised. 

How is a worker able to bring themselves out of poverty if they must spend all of their time on their wage, and all of their wage on surviving daily? It is impossible to save money for education since, as Gov. Ted Strickland stated during his attempt to live off of the minimum-wage, $77 for food, transportation, and personal expenses weekly is not enough. 

The Federal Minimum-Wage should return to its peak level in 1968, when a worker could bring a family of three above the poverty level by working full time. In our growing economy, the real wage should not be dropping. It should be raised in order to return it to something that could be lived off of. We will achieve what we are fighting for when one can call the wage a living wage, and not a minimum wage. Many states have recognized this, but please, help make it official and sign a petition to benefit over 28 million Americans in need.