NH should raise minimum wage
I recently met Karishma Manzur, a candidate for the U.S. Senate. I was at a meet-and-greet event in Laconia, and I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of territory she covered in her conversation with the assembled group. Topics ranged from the healthcare crisis and the need for universal healthcare, to the fragile condition of the environment, with unfettered AI and its data centers posing an existential threat to the environment.
One subject that stood out for me was the need to increase New Hampshire’s pitifully low minimum wage of $7.25. Can a family — or even an individual — survive on that? Someone could work two or three jobs at that rate of pay and still find it impossible to buy food and gas and pay rent. And the American dream of owning a home is now just that — a dream — for far too many New Hampshire families. Home ownership has become even further out of reach, thanks to an ever-increasing number of second homes and investment properties. While these houses lay empty, far too many people are pushed out of the housing market. When I first came to Laconia two years ago, I was saddened by the number of people suffering homelessness.
Karishma said: “In New Hampshire, we can show that we care about the quality of life for all our people by raising the minimum wage to a livable $20.00.”
I decided on the spot to vote for Karishma in the Sept. 8 primary.