In response to the bumpy roll-out of the Obamacare website, Senator Joe Manchin is promoting a delay in the individual mandate which requires people to sign up for health insurance by April 1. In this blog post, Brandon explains why the delay is not a good idea and how it would be costly to West Virginians. Look for more in the Charleston Gazette and West Virginia Public Radio.
The true value of the minimum wage had declined from its peak in 1968 ($10.72) to today ($7.25). WVCBP research on how raising the wage to $10.10 would help over 190,000 West Virginia workers was covered by the Huntington Herald-Dispatch and West Virginia Public News Service this week. Another reason to raise the wage? Research shows that half of the country’s fast food workers rely on public assistance to get by.
While the debt ceiling debacle and the government shutdown have ended until next year, Congress will again start grappling with the problem in December. To get you ready, read this article from Dylan Mathews of the Washington Post to better understand how the debt, deficit, and money work in our economy.
Last week, we talked about the need for West Virginia to ensure that out-of-state drivers pay their share of the costs for maintaining the state’s roadways. This policy was supported by the Charleston Gazette this week.
West Virginia faces an $80 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year. In his blog post this week, Ted points out that the state would not be in this position if the legislature had not passed $316 million in tax cuts in recent years.
With Halloween just around the corner, what might be the scariest part of the season for many West Virginia low-income families is November 1 when those relying on food stamp benefits will all see a cut. Nearly 40% of those affected will be children. Read more in Sean’s blog post.
