Blog Stage 5 - Texas should Raise its Minimum Wage

Texas should raise its minimum wage. The last time Texas raised its minimum wage was in 2009; which was eight years ago. The year prior to the 2009 raise in minimum wage, the poverty level for a one-person household was $10,400 of annual income and the minimum wage was raised from $6.55 to $7.25. Since then the poverty level has risen to $11,770. That is a rise of more than one thousand dollars and still, Texas has not seen a change in its minimum wage. In data from http://livingwage.mit.edu/states/48, living expenses for a one-person household in Texas are $22,185 annually. That turns out to be an hourly salary of $10.66 to pay for typical expenses for yourself. Texas has the most minimum wage earners than any other State in the country. Many have argued that increasing the minimum wage kills jobs but this has been proven to not be true. According to an article titled Conservative Myths on Minimum Wage written by Duncan Hoise and published on Huffington Post in 2016 during the year of 2012, 10 states raised the minimum wage and from 2012 to 2015 those 10 states had no increase in unemployment. In fact, It was noted to do the opposite; ever one of those 10 states had a decrease in unemployment. In 2014 hundreds of economists signed a statement in supporting a minimum wage of $10.10. Research also suggest that a raise in minimum wage will cause a raising demand and job growth due to the low wage workers spending their additional earnings. An increase in minimum wage would also reduce worker turnover and ultimately remove thousands of families out of poverty.

Commentary Critique #2

In the online Corpus Christi Newspaper I found an interesting editorial titled ICE Surge gives Texas a belt-tightening Opportunity written on February 22, 2017 by the Editorial Board, Corpus Christi Callers-Time. This editorial points out that not only does the “immigration enforcement and border security surge… tear families apart, inflame prejudices and undermine Mexico relations and the economies of both countries” but it will also affect tax payers “that’s us” by raising taxes to pay for all the additional expenses that the increase in immigration enforcement and boarder security will bring.

As provided in the editorial some may try to argue that this immigration enforcement and boarder security surge launched by Trump administration will save Texas $1.8 billion by abondening the proposed billion dollar increase in state sponsored border security that was approved 2 years ago. In reality this is misleading due to the amount of money that will be spent to hire 10,000 to 15,000 more agents and detention centers to hold the millions of immigrants that the agents will be expected to round up and detain until they are deported. In addition to these additional expenses on tax payers "that's us" we'll most likely have to pay higher property taxes to cover the cost associated with Trump and Governor Greg Abbot's war on "sanctuary cities". The actions that Greg Abbot and Trump are requesting of cities to hold ICE detainees have already lead to lawsuits that will cost these cities legal fee which is another expense that will fall on tax payers in these cities. 

Ultimately sanctuary cities are trying to use their resources wisely, "recognize the constitutional rights of people not to be detained illegally", and obtain the trust in there community so that victims and witnesses of crimes are not discouraged in reporting them. Unfortunately this increased focus on immigration enforcement and border security will largely negatively effect Texas by directly increasing taxes on Texas tax payers, ruining Texas's reputation of a "low-tax state" and that just naming a few.