Hatboro-Horsham HS Controversy Underlines National Minimum Wage Debate

Minimum wage has always been a hotly debated issue between Democrats and Republicans, but the intensity of the discourse has reached a fever pitch in recent months.

Around the country, minimum wage debates are raging in states, with impassioned workers and labor groups fighting businesses and established regulations.

In Pennsylvania, State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) has introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

“An economy that forces full-time workers to toil in poverty is clearly in need of repair,” Leach said. “While corporations shower their executives with extravagant bonuses, lavish benefits and golden parachutes, they force their own employees to supplement meager wages with government assistance programs, all at the taxpayers’ expense. It’s time for employers to pay their fair share and for workers to get a fair shake.”

Opponents, in turn, say that raising the minimum wage is bad for businesses and the economy, and sends the wrong message to workers who should have to improve their skill-set before receiving a raise.

Hatboro-Horsham was thrown into the center of the debate in recent weeks as Fox News took issue with a video which was shown in a sociology class.

The clip was of comedian Russell Brand taking down Fox News’ show “Cashin In” for attacking a CEO that lowered his own salary so that all of his employees could be paid a $70,000 yearly salary.

What do you think? Is eliminating poverty the job of the government? Businesses? Individuals? Or a combination of all three? Let us know in the comments below.