Raise Illinois

There was a recent blog post written by Edward McClellan for NBC Chicago titled, “Could You Make It On $10 An Hour?” In the post he calculates cost of living expenses and finds that it is nearly impossible to live on $10 an hour, much less the current minimum wage of $8.25! In the end he recommends, “Maybe they should go $12.50 an hour.”

Greg Kaufman wrote an article for The Nation called, “This Week In Poverty: Will The Poor Get Poorer In The Land Of Lincoln?” which fleshes out how low-income Illinois residents will be affected by budget cuts. He throws his support behind Senate Bill 1565, saying, “Finally, another piece of legislation in Illinois that would make a real difference in the lives of low-income people: a proposal to increase the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.65 per hour over four years, and then index it to inflation. Tipped workers—currently paid only $4.95 per hour—would also be paid the new, full minimum wage. Currently, 100,000 state residents work full time, year-round, and still live below the poverty line, earning about $16,500 per year. The bill is expected to be voted on in committee next week. This is a critical moment for people living in poverty in Illinois—hard times could get a lot harder in the coming months. If you’re a state resident, contact your representatives—tell them to oppose reducing TANF eligibility to three years; oppose raising child care co-payments; support the supplemental appropriation to pay for TANF benefits; and support raising the minimum wage.“

There is also an eye-opening infographic that is going viral about the wage gap in America called, “15 Facts About America’s Income Inequality” by Kristy Tillman. Below are some images from the infographic:

On Tuesday, May 1st, the Decatur Jobs Council voted to support Senate Bill 1565, our bill to raise the minimum wage. As the Herald-Review reported, “the jobs council voted to support Illinois Senate Bill 1565, which would tie the state’s minimum wage to increases in the cost of living. The bill was introduced by Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester. Steve Simmons, statewide policy associate for the Chicago Jobs Council, also encouraged jobs council members to support the bill by participating in a rally day on May 17 at the state Capitol in Springfield. Darsonya Switzer, housing program director for Homeward Bound and chairwoman of the Decatur Jobs Council, said she planned to go and take some of her clients.”

Graphic from NELP report (Click to enlarge)

Last but not least, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a report, “Slower Wage Growth, Declining Real Wages Undermine Recovery,” that shows how working families continue to make less and less while corporations pull in record profits. The report also recommends raising the minimum wage as a way to address the decline in wages, “Prolonged, high unemployment continues to weaken wage growth for workers, undermining more vibrant economic recovery. The expansion of low-wage work and reduced earnings for those affected by the recession amplify these concerns. At the same time, even relatively weak wage growth is not reaching all workers. Raising and indexing the minimum wage begins to address the problem of low wages and boost economic recovery by stimulating demand and creating jobs.“