From a Press Release today:

‘On Friday, July 28, 2006 from 5 to 7 PM, Western NC Working Families Win will hold a celebration of the increase in North Carolina?s minimum wage. The event will also focus on the next step: pressuring Rep. Charles Taylor to push for a vote to increase the federal minimum wage. Even working full-time at the new NC minimum wage of $6.15 / hr, a person would only make a little over $12,000 a year. According to the NC Justice Center, a one parent/one child household in Western NC would need to earn $28,000 a year (or $13 an hour) to pay for the basic necessities of living. The Justice Center estimates that 49% of families with children in NC are earning less than $13 an hour.’

So – the goal is clear. Get a $13/hour minimum wage in NC. Think of how much this would ‘help’ poor families in NC. -smile- However, what is most troubling to me is that the celebration is being held at Three Chopt Restaurant – and organizers did not say whether or not they plan to offset the cost of the meal based on income or if they plan on paying the difference to the wait and cook staff to be sure those workers make the $13/hour they ‘deserve’ while helping serve the celebration attendees.