"San Jose's minimum wage is going up to $18.45 an hour next year. That sounds good, but it's nowhere near enough to actually live here. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment is about $3,000 a month, and the cost of food and utilities keeps rising. Even someone working full time can barely cover the basics. As a student, it's impossible to keep up with a school schedule and have enough to live on, too."
"Pat Waite claimed that the fact that Santa Clara County's budget is larger than that of 19 states is evidence of wasteful spending, but that is misleading. It is important to note that Santa Clara County's population is greater than any of the 12 smallest states, according to 2025 census data. And as we well know, California, and especially the Bay Area, has a higher cost of living than most of the rest of the country."
San Jose will increase its minimum wage to $18.45 an hour next year, but that level still fails to meet local living costs. One-bedroom rent averages about $3,000 per month while food and utility prices continue rising, leaving many full-time workers and students unable to cover basic expenses. The minimum wage should move closer to a true living wage and be indexed annually for inflation to retain residents. Santa Clara County's large budget largely reflects its sizable population and the Bay Area's high cost of living rather than clear fiscal mismanagement. Proposition 50 would enable gerrymandering that makes votes unequal and undermines democratic equality.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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