Why is Minimum Wage $8.50 Per Hour?

Why is Minimum Wage $8.50 Per Hour?  Who can live off of this wage?  Working for this amount of money gets you nothing.   With earnings this low how is one expected to survive.  Even if you make $15 per hour with a family you will still struggle.  I'm not sure why we earn so little but everything you buy has inflated prices.  A gallon of of milk is almost $4 where I live in Masontown, Pa.  How can we have a bright outlook on our future when we can't pay our bills.  I know not everyone is struggling but I think the masses of people are feeling the sting of the economy.  I have noticed all my expenses rising  but pay checks are getting smaller.  How can we save money when everything you do cost more money?  Oh, I forgot to mention you must do this making less. I also noticed a trend of making less for doing the same job. I wish I knew the answer to my question, but I don't.  Sometimes I think if things keep getting worse people will be living in tent cities because they wont be able to afford to live in homes.  It feels like I'm stuck in a science fiction movie.  The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  I  hope Obama and Congress get their act together, how much longer can we get hammered before we all fall?




The Working Poor: Invisible in America