Editorial Board
Higher Minimum Wage Is Imperfect Idea Whose Time Has Come
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U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking to resurrect an idea that he set aside during his first term: Raise the minimum wage to help lift working families out of poverty. The proposal, which would take the minimum to $9 an hour from the current $7.25, is far from ideal. Still, it’s the right thing to do.
A better way to keep people working and out of poverty would be to expand the earned income tax credit, a program that makes direct payments to low-wage workers through the income-tax system. The tax credit for a single working mother earning $20,000 a year would be $4,618, for instance.