WOW: In No State Is a 40-Hour, Minimum Wage Work Week Enough to Afford a Two-Bedroom Apartment

The above graphic exploded on Facebook this weekend. It shows how many minimum wage hours a worker needs to work in order to be able to afford a two-bedroom unit at “Fair Market Rent” in any given state. The FMR is a figure determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2012/05/29/wow-in-no-state-is-a-40-hour-minimum-wage-work-week-enough-to-afford-a-two-bedroom-apartment/

These are the types of stories that need to be broadcast every day until the election is over and then some. Most people on minimum wage cannot afford to rent rooms much less an apartment, unless it's through a friend or not a place anyone wants to live.

Insurance and car payments are unaffordable on minimum wage jobs as well, if you want to eat, be presentable at work and heaven forbid, take care of a child if you have one, much less two or more.
No one takes these factors seriously. Part time retail work is available for many, but if you receive Medicaid, Snap or any other social service, anything over 15 hours and you lose the benefits, which many cannot afford to do.

In addition, many rentals now don't include heat and hot water, just water. Factor that in and who can afford them even making better than minimum wage.

This is all very sad and some do not understand the issue. Minimum wage is lower than what most retired people take home from social security. Something is very wrong when low income working people are paying taxes and many others making two or more times are not paying any income taxes.

I think we can all agree that we are:

1. utterly disgusted with the lack of real attention being paid to what is really happening with the economy as a whole.

2. the lack of attention being paid to the issues of the unemployed, long term unemployed and the 99ers.

This is so much more than a line item in a new story, reported then done. Until someone really starts paying attention to the fact that this many unemployed people has a very REAL effect on the entire economy, from housing, revenue, food prices, clothing prices, taxes and social security we will continue to flounder and wait and wonder. The longer this many people remain unemployed, the lower the economic fallout goes. It's really not that complicated, BUT, no one wants to admit it's really happening. Right now we are all invisible and until as a whole we start making noise, we are just small groups or individuals writing, praying and hoping.

We've all been doing this for a long time, but it just can't stop, it's our lives they are playing with so it's really up to all of us to get everyone we can involved in helping. This should be the number one story regarding this coming election, I will go so far as to say it should be the only story. We need work, we need help getting it and we need additional benefits. There is no appetite in DC for doing any of it. Maybe we need to change their minds for good. We've all been very dedicated to it so far, but a few are just not going to get it done. Some of our members didn't get 99 weeks, many of us have been without for over two years and some are still able to collect as long as the "fake" numbers don't trigger them off. It's a disgrace. We are all being held hostage with sound bites.

Please post any ideas you may have to get everyone together, make any suggestions or post what you have been doing locally to garner attention to the problem. We CAN coordinate this and we CAN make people listen. We all know far too many people who are seriously in trouble and we can make people listen.

I'm so tired of hearing that employers will cut back if we raise the minimum wage..they don't hire anyone they don't have to now. If they can get rid of you ( at any wage) they do..so make them pay a decent wage.

I just had this conversation with my son. He called a potential employer because a friend had referred him. The friend said this guy was a security contractor and bragged about making $45 an hour. So my son called even tho he knew he would not be making that kind of money. Requirement #1 was that he keep an active cell phone so that he could be contacted at any hour in case of an emergency. The pay was $8 an hour for a 32 hour (sometimes less) week. My son said that after taxes and car note, he would be working mainly to be able to get to work. As much as he hates his present job, he decided to stay put.

I reminded him that he could consider giving up his "sidekick" phone for a cheaper "doesn't do much" phone that would not have GPS, and he looked at me like I had two heads.

A "living wage" will force many employers to lay off staff. To all: go back to school, network, do volunteer work, consult with financial planners, relocate if necessary...dont give up.