Vermont Minimum Wage Increase to Among Nations Highest. Too bad it is still not a livable wage.

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On January 1, 2009 Vermont's minimum wage is set to increase to $8.06/hour  which is among the nation's highest.  While I applaud this move on Vermont's part I have to acknowledge the elephant in the room.  Simply put $8.06 is not even close to a livable wage.  I'm pretty sure that if you work a standard 40 hour week making this you would still qualify for a significant amount of government assistance.  This is wrong in so many ways.  From a humanitarian standpoint you should not be poor if you are willing to work full time even if that job is a menial one.  I believe that the original intent of the minimum wage in the United States was to provide a wage that could support the minimum physical needs of a family.  From a public policy standpoint having a wage this low is essentially a government subsidy for employers who fail to pay their employees a living wage.  I know that the argument exists that small business simply cannot afford to pay their employees a minimum wage in the $15/hour range.  While dubious, I seriously doubt that the toilets would not get cleaned, it also points out a simple fact.  If your business model cannot support paying a living wage that does not require the government to subsidize your payroll through assistance programs, then you have no business being in business.
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