Do you believe minimum wage is too low? This is what was asked of three Frostburg students and faculty who voiced their very opinionated views on this controversial topic. Currently the wage in Maryland is $7.25, which has struck problems in today's current economic downturn where high wage jobs are scarce and minimum wage job seems to be all that's available.
Cindy Zirlott, the Campus Ministry Chaplain, expressed how she has had so many different perspectives on this topic. Laughing, she voiced that this was her opinion on it for today. “I would like to see it raised, but this isn’t the right time.” Zirlott was very optimistic about minimum wage being increased, one day, but had a deep concern on how this could affect young people who are currently jobless. Cindy expressed, “When the wage is raised, young people who need income would have a difficult time finding a job because the higher the wage the more skilled the employer wants you to be.” In this current economic situation Cindy Zirlott does not think minimum wage should be raised.
Matt Geiger, a Baltimore native and a sophomore majoring in Computer Science knows what it’s like to be paid minimum wage worker. Being a Cultural Event Series employee, he has no problem with it all and thinks the amount is completely fair. “I’m a minimum wage worker, doing unskilled labor,” Matt stated. “If I felt I deserve more money, I would ask for it.” Kenny Phillips, a sophomore majoring in Philosophy from Seattle, WA, strongly believes minimum wage should be increased. He based his opinion on the current economic situation, totally opposite of Zirlott’s view. “If the cost of living increases, then wages should increase.“ Currently in today’s economy, going green has become a big deal. “People want you to eat better, but you have to spend more money to buy healthy food.” You would think that since going green is so much better, it would cost less.
This is a topic that carries plenty of opinions, but at the end of the day, this is something we are going to have to live with for awhile.
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