The Benefits of a Higher Minimum Wage and Health Care

Local minimum wage laws prove effective
With Congress at a standstill, states, cities and counties are taking matters into their own hands with minimum wage. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have established a higher minimum wage than the federal $7.25 per hour, and more than 120 cities in counties across the nation have followed suit – often requiring city service contractors to be paid between $12 and $15 per hour. According to UC Berkeley economist Michael Reich, studies in these localities indicate that workers’ wages and access to health care have increased, while employment rates have remained stable. That’s because businesses in these cities and counties successfully absorbed increased labor costs through savings from reduced worker turnover and improved efficiency. Researchers also found that a 10 percent minimum wage increase adds 0.7 cents on the dollar to restaurant prices, a small price to pay for lifting workers and their families out of poverty.
Louisiana is one of five states without its own minimum wage law, and the state also bans local governments from establishing their own minimum wage. But that has not stopped city councils from New Orleans to Monroe from passing ordinances asking the state to raise minimum wage laws. State Rep. Marcus Hunter, D-Monroe, filed House Bill 644 to remove this prohibition. Across the state, a solid majority of Louisianans, seventy-three percent support a state minimum wage of at least $8.50 an hour that would keep pace with the cost of living. Simply put, Louisiana needs a higher wage. 
Deadline looms for signing up for health insurance
Louisiana has a high rate of uninsured residents, but few of them are signing up for coverage through the new federal insurance marketplace, The Advocate reported in its Sunday edition. 
Only 45,560 state residents have signed up for coverage through the end of February, and fewer than 10 percent of those are eligible. Some areas of the state are doing better than others in getting people connected with affordable coverage. 
According to data from the Louisiana Budget Project, “Louisiana ranks 39th among all states in terms of the percentage of people enrolled. Of those who did sign up, 17,000 – or more than a third – were in New Orleans and Metairie, which had a goal of enrolling 23,000 residents by March 31. That puts the New Orleans area at roughly 74 percent of its goal, compared with 61 percent for the state as a whole.”
Raising the minimum wage and having health care go hand-in-hand across the state. Governor Jindal and others have refused federal funding for the people of Louisiana when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. Businesses that have joined and share the governor’s views will be required to pay penalties resulting from the lack of coverage, additionally those who have no coverage will also face penalties.
Individuals who do not have coverage can expect penalties that could possibly be $750. The penalty will be taken from their income tax refund in the coming tax season. The deadline as it stands is March 31, 2014. Many argue the Affordable Care Act forces them unfairly into having coverage when it is not needed. What many do not understand is those who do not have coverage are one of the primary reasons for high cost regarding healthcare today. If they become ill and are treated, those costs are factored into the care and expense for the many. 
Those who have refused to allow the people of Louisiana affordable health care coverage should hold the same position next year when the fallout over their position will be the highest. I look for the recall petitions to start flying. If a politician(s) get into the pockets of the voters, their next move is to rid them from office. All of this is dependent upon the deadline remaining the same and all other factors remaining the same. It will be an interesting outcome. 
Food for thought:
A higher minimum wage will make it more affordable to acquire proper health care coverage. Louisiana is the ideal environment for the Affordable Care Act to work as it should. Some of those who have been elected to office do not vote in the best interest of their constituents. The bigger problem is the constituents themselves do not vote for their own best interest.