Gas prices today (April 30) hit $4.50 a gallon, over $1.50 more than two months ago.  Orange Juice is $12 a gallon.  PP&L electricity rates will go up almost 5% this Summer, and UGI is proposing an 8.7% rate increase.  And many School Districts will be raising our property taxes by 4-5% next year.  With our cost of living increasing far faster than any increase in our salaries, pensions or Social Security, what can be done for our good?

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1) Suspend and lower the PA Gasoline Tax, currently $0.58 a gallon. So long as the US is at war with Iran, suspend the Tax altogether; and then cut it in half, to $0.29 a gallon, as long as it is not fully utilized to fund road and transportation infrastructure improvement. 

 

2) Guarantee an annual Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all PA public retirees, including teachers and municipal employees, and incentivize all PA businesses to do the same for theirs.  There hasn't been a COLA for these PA retirees in 25+ years.  

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3) Expand the PA Price Gouging Act of 2006 to cover every situation, not just PA-declared "State of Disaster" emergencies, or else declare a State Emergency as long as the US-Iran war continues.

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4) Raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, and adjust the same on a yearly basis according to the increase of inflation.  Raising our extremely low pay rate of $7.25 an hour, and $2.83 an hour if you are a waitress or amusement park worker, will necessarily raise all of our wages while requiring employers to give us more of what we deserve.  People must be Put First.  Always.  We are worth it.

                                                                           

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The video below is about living at $7.50 an hour...10 years ago.  No one can afford to live on next to nothing.