Living wages for all

As a teacher in Santa Fe, I’m distressed by the argument that our Living Wage Ordinance is causing young people to drop out of school. Students are not dropping out of school to get rich on $9.50 an hour. They drop out because they are told they can’t succeed at school, or because they get lost in large classes, or to help out their families in which parents must work multiple jobs.

Decent wages allow parents to work one job, rather than two or three, and to spend more time with their families. They keep down crime by reducing poverty. They allow young people to support themselves while in college or getting their GEDs.

All workers deserve a fair wage. The Santa Fe living wage should be expanded to cover all workers in our community, rather than just those at businesses with 25 employees or more — with no exemption for young people.

Anne Haven McDonnell
Santa Fe