BENSONHURST — Assemblyman William Colton (D-Bensonhurst/Gravesend) recently announced his support for an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour starting January 2013 and then linking it to the rate of inflation beginning January 2014.
 

“No one who works full-time should be poor and without hope,” Colton said. “We need to reward work and restore a sense of fairness. We need to raise the minimum wage. 
 

“New York’s working families are seeing a decline in their purchasing power. The question is no longer whether they can live on the minimum wage, it’s whether they can survive on the minimum wage,” Colton added. 
 

In 2010, the top three jobs in industries that saw growth nationwide were retail sales employees, cashiers and food preparation workers — all of which are predominantly minimum-wage jobs.  By increasing the state’s minimum wage, more than 1 million New Yorkers would benefit, Colton added. 
 

Currently, the neighboring states of Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts — as well as 15 other states across the country and the District of Columbia — all have higher minimum wages than New York. 
 

In addition, the minimum wage in New York has only increased 10 cents per hour in the past five years, which is insufficient for families to comfortably maintain a household, Colton added. 
 

“We must increase the minimum wage so lower-income families aren’t forced to choose between everyday necessities like rent, heat, gas, food and prescription drugs,” Colton said. “Raising the minimum wage would also help our local economy by putting money in the hands of people most likely to spend it. This measure will create jobs, not kill them. It’s time to get this done for hardworking Brooklyn families.”