Letter: Think about helping vast middle class

Regarding "Hard times resurrect talk of a 'living wage' " [Opinion, Nov. 1], I agree with columnist Anne Michaud when she says that the federal minimum wage is simply not enough to live comfortably, let alone to provide for a family.

The middle class, which makes up "nearly half the country," puts much of the money into the economy, enabling the market to produce and thrive. If this class is not earning enough income, its members are forced to hold on to whatever they have. So many individuals are not spending, which is only prolonging and possibly worsening the current economic situation.

I completely agree that low wages cause tension in the household, leading to "angry homes, fast-food diets, and dependence on alcohol and drugs." When families are tight with money and cannot afford their basic needs, it leads to pressure and conflict.

The minimum wage needs to be changed to a "living wage," where workers are earning enough to be able to live properly, instead of meeting or falling below the poverty line. I guess it is true what people say: The only people that get help are the really rich and the really poor. The middle class is expected to make it work. It is time to start paying more attention to this class that many of us belong to.

Andrea Green, Far Rockaway