This week’s question: What do you think about the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour?

I am 70 years old. I have heard the same arguments every time they want to raise the wage. If you raise the wage, people will spend money. When you spend, demand rises. You need to hire people to meet increased demand, so more jobs. In 2005, what was the price of milk, bread, rent, etc? What is the price now?

John Leavor, Newport News

Many of the smaller business have been hanging in there, if they have made it at all. I think that raising minimum wage, after having such a hardship the last almost two years, is a poor idea at best. It is better to see three people making some money, than one overworked person and two people on unemployment.

Jackie Dunbar, Virginia Beach

The $15 minimum (living) wage is long overdue. During trips to France and Ireland, we learned both have minimum wage laws that provide for a livable income. There were no panhandlers, free food distribution centers, or homeless camps. America is fully capable of doing as well.

Bill Harrell, Chesapeake

If minimum wage goes to $15 an hour, prices go up, business goes down, layoffs go up and unemployment rises. That’s basic economics. So, not a good idea to raise the minimum to $15. It’s better to have a steady job at $8 or $10 an hour than to be laid off or unemployed.

Devon Hewitt, Windsor

The term “minimum wage” needs to be “entry-level wage.” You enter the workforce at a base rate and through hard work and initiative you promote yourself upward. This may require changing jobs, additional education or relocation, or moving out of your comfort zone. No one is going to give you a raise; you need to earn it.

Mike Hall, Smithfield

While it seems like a major hike, the demand for goods and services by those who can finally pay for them will more than make up for the cost. Maybe they can do step increases for smaller businesses. Large companies have stolen labor for too long.

Nancy Pope, Virginia Beach

Like many such proposals, it misses the real problem. There is an oversupply of people that can only do low-skilled jobs, many of whom have bad attitudes about doing any work. Corporations computerize these jobs instead of paying people that do poor work. Many high skilled jobs go unfilled.

Joseph L. Bass, Suffolk

I’m all for folks making more per hour as long as small business can handle it. If people lose jobs because of it, what have you accomplished? Maybe $12 would be a more realistic goal.

Buddy Rilee, Gloucester

I think it is long overdue, but there will be a problem passing it. I wonder if we might start increasing it by $1 each year until we reach $15. That might make it more palatable to the Republicans.

Ann L. Hunt, James City County

In 1981, I earned $10/hour as a secretary in New York City. Why should anyone expect people to live in today’s economy (40 years later) on $7.50/hour? And why is it that only working people are expected to sacrifice? Companies can shave a little off their profit margin so their workers can do better.

Eileen Engel, Hampton

The minimum wage should be $15 now. Not phased in over years. Now. Anyone who works a full-time job should not be struggling to survive nor qualify for food stamps. This is a travesty. The problem is that CEOs are making thousands of times more than their front-line employees. That didn’t used to be the case.

Gail Kent, Newport News

Government meddling in payroll is patently bad. But if I had worked my way up to $15 an hour after years of diligent effort, I’d be rather unhappy to find I’d just been demoted by the government back to minimum wage again.

Don Lovett, Smithfield

Given the negative economic impact on small businesses due to Democrat-led states’ business shutdowns during the pandemic, now is not the best time to increase business operating expenses to include hourly wage rate. A better approach is to incrementally increase the hourly wage rate over time after post-pandemic sustained economic recovery.

John R. Baer, Yorktown