We, the undersigned, believe that the Kansas minimum wage of $2.65 an hour is disgracefully low and should be raised to match the national level. According to the Department of Labor, there are now at least 27,000 Kansas workers who are covered by the absurdly low Kansas minimum wage rather than by the federal minimum.

We believe a job should keep you out of poverty, not in poverty. Because the Kansas legislature has refused to raise the minimum wagesince 1988, it is time for us to act locally. We call upon the City of Wichita to use its home rule authority to establish a city minimum wage matching the federal level. Ultimately, in 2009, the federal minimum wage will rise to $7.25 an hour. Currently, the figure is $5.85. In 2008 it will rise to $6.55.

We say: Keep up with the rest of the country. Raise the wage to the federal minimum wage level.

Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and contains 21% of the state workforce. Our example can make a difference, not only here but for Kansas as a whole. Raising the wage will help workers and their families pay for food, housing, health care, childcare, and transportation.

I Call Upon the City of Wichita to Raise the Local Minimum Wage to the National Level!