Letter: Higher minimum wage would help many people

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To the editor,

I am writing in regards to hearing on the radio [Feb. 5] about raising the minimum wage to $10.10. I feel that would help out many Americans and people who are struggling to make ends meet.

I remember years ago hearing my mother and father saying that they were “living from paycheck to paycheck.” Well, now many of us can’t do that even with both spouses working. Even though the minimum wage was just increased, it wasn’t increased enough. And it is being questioned by our political figures? I said, “Really?” Do they realize that the federal guideline for poverty is $11 per hour. Even with two people working at minimum wage, do people see how hard it is to pay rent, utilities, car insurance, health insurance and gas in their cars to get back and forth to work. How can they even doubt that it should be raised again?

Look at the people and how hard it is for them to make ends meet, and then to hear politicians and people complain and say how so many people shouldn’t be on SNAP or any state help. Don’t judge people so harshly until you live in their shoes and totally see how they are living. This makes me so angry when I hear conversations like this or see how people are put into categories because they receive SNAP or state insurance. It isn’t fair to those who are truly trying and get put down, who struggle and can’t get any help and then when they do — get put into a category. This causes so much anxiety issues, and many deal with feelings of unworthiness and get depressed. Politicians, we listen to you when you are running for office, we believe in you, please listen to those who voted you in.

I say all this because I am one of those that is in a category, and it isn’t fair to myself or family. Both myself and husband work, we have state insurance and are applying for SNAP and waiting for Section 8 to accept applications so that we can put one in and wait two to three years for ours to come up. I am not supposed to work at all, for I am told that I am medically disabled and should be going for disability. My husband works at a job that is not in his field of expertise, he is a security guard and makes just over minimum and I work for minimum in retail. By the time we get paid and taxes, we can’t even afford to pay our rent and all and have fallen very far behind in rent and utilities and it is such a struggle. We go to food banks. We have applied repeatedly for SNAP, and we are told we make too much. So tell me, all politicians who think it is wrong or not needed to raise the minimum wage, how do we survive?

Sure get another job is always the quick answer, (I worked three at one time) but even putting in dozen of applications a day doesn’t mean that you will get a response or interview. So, the solution is that many of us have to relocate to other states. We have to leave our families and friends to do better for ourselves. And then it is the same in the next state, but if there is work then you receive peace of mind. And isn’t that what we all want?

Cyndi Davis

Naugatuck