Dear Senator Manchin:
Thank you. I know you probably aren’t hearing those words from a lot of your constituents these days, and I am a constituent. In fact, I am a born and raised West Virginian, determined to tough it out here despite daily legislative efforts seemingly designed to force me, and those who feel the same as me, out. I am also raising kids here.
Truth be told, my kids were the reason that I became active in civic engagement; I want them to grow up and love this state the way I do without inheriting the heartbreak, but it’s getting harder to convince them by the day.
Because it’s impossible for regular folks to meet with you, I have decided to use this platform to talk to you. Hopefully, you’ll read it. Well, hopefully your staff will read it at the very least. I know you’re ridiculously busy right now. So busy, in fact, that I have to believe you’re unable to slow down enough to listen to us because surely you would make different choices if you knew the whole story.
First of all, thank you for being in the media so much. Trust me when I say that West Virginia is garnering some much-needed attention these days. Your name has come up in at least 85% of the conversations I’ve had this week, which is saying a lot because most of my conversations are with people who are impacted by poverty on some level or another. The fact that we are talking about you so much is exactly why I wanted to say thanks.
See, because of the energy around the #FightFor15 movement, people who have been historically disenfranchised by the political system are now paying attention. Your comment that $11/hr is “reasonable” lit us up. Now we’re pointing out that it would take 7 ½ years for someone working at that rate to make your annual Congressional salary! I know that sounds unbelievable but do the math. $175k is a LOT of money for most of us back home. I honestly can’t wrap my head around how much that really is because my opportunities here have never included six digits.
I had to put gas in my car last night, and, as I was staring at the pump, I began to think about the price of $2.79/gallon. You know, West Virginia’s minimum wage is $8.75/hour, which means that someone working for that could buy three gallons of gas for an hour’s wages. I don’t know what kind of vehicle you drive, but how far could you get on three gallons of gas? Could you get back and forth to work five days a week? Hell, it’s seven miles from my house to the nearest Walmart, which is where a lot of us shop for groceries. And while I’m thinking about it, did you know that Walmart was our state’s largest employer not so long ago? I don’t know about you, but I think that speaks volumes to the economic climate of our state.
A lot of people think those whom the pandemic labeled as “essential” should run out and get a better job, not realizing that the retail giant is one of the best around. Funny how retail workers are “essential” when the country is struggling to keep moving yet still considered unworthy of a livable wage when the masks come off, isn’t it? Allow me to thank you for putting it out there that $11/hr is “reasonable” while being so far removed that you don’t even realize we can’t buy two pounds of hamburger for that to feed our families.
You won your last election by 19,397 votes, which isn’t very much. I mean, 14,104 West Virginians receive TANF, according to Spotlight on Poverty. They share other facts, as well, such as:
- 26.8% of us are working low-wage jobs here, meaning far more people are in need of a livable wage than voted for you in 2018.
- 141,000 of us receive EITC!
- 35 percent of our working families are working for 200% under the federal poverty line, Senator. Read that again.
So, thanks.
Thanks for really bringing to light the paradox of the phrase “working poor.” Thanks for voting in favor of further stretching our charities here rather than stretching your morals. The fact is, we rely heavily on the minimum wage industry. And low-income folks put their money right back into local economies rather than saving or investing it. Prejudice makes us think that the workers don’t deserve a livable wage while privilege allows us to ignore the fact that the billionaires keep raising prices and not wages.
Thanks, most of all, Senator Manchin, for showing your privilege.
Kind regards,
Amy Jo
