San Jose, CA, October 22, 2019 -- Democratic Candidate for United States Congress CA-18 (now CA-16) Rishi Kumar* issued the following statement on a $15 Minimum Wage standard. Rishi Kumar, as the councilmember of Saratoga, spoke at the council meeting on January 15th favoring this standard of minimum wage as part of a council agenda item.
“A few congressional District cities that have already adopted the $15 minimum wage include Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto and San Jose. The minimum wage is vital as it empowers the poorest workers in our society. I support initiatives such as The Raise the Wage Act that would give up to 33 million Americans a raise. The current $7.25 minimum was set in 2009 and since then, American workers have lost $3000 considering the rising cost of living. Worker productivity has dramatically outpaced wage growth to the point where if workers in 1960 were as productive as those of today, their minimum wage would be $20 after adjustment to inflation.”
“Silicon Valley workers are struggling to make a living, commuting from long distances and sometimes working two or three jobs to make ends meet. There has to be a better way! Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is a necessary step to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to make a decent living. With additional money in their hands, minimum wage workers would be able to live better lives and even create better long term opportunities for themselves.”
“A $15 minimum wage would particularly help disadvantaged communities of color, as 38% of African Americnas, and 33% of Latinos are paid a minimum wage. Thus raising the minimum wage to $15 will help significantly to uplift our communities, and help make society more equitable.
*Rishi Kumar is running for U.S Congress’ California District 16 seat against Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Currently, a hi-tech executive, a community activist and councilmember of Saratoga, Rishi is running on a platform of citizen-centric values, rejecting PAC money and Special Interest Group campaign contributions, and addressing some of the tough challenges of the valley such as healthcare, safety, transportation logjams, and climate change. Rishi’s priorities for District 16 are explained on his campaign home page www.RishiKumar.com
