It wasn’t long ago that a single “breadwinner” providing for their family was the norm. A person would finish high school (or sometimes, not even finish), they would get a job, move into a home with their high school sweetheart, and start a family. In most families, the mother would stay home and take care of their children while the father worked. And, this single income would provide all that was needed to support the family. 

There are many reasons for the situation we have today. Some people point to the decline in unions, the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, the increased influence of corporations, or the flaws within our political system. And while it is true that each of these have had an effect, the problem is greater than any of these factors. The situation we have today is the steady outcome of our economy and our society as a whole. 

Every time something negative occurs, it is usually positive for someone else. Some workers are harmed when their jobs move overseas, but others see lower prices for products they want to buy (computers, phones, TVs, etc.) The rising cost of housing, making it out of reach for many young people, is good news for older homeowners who were taught that owning a home was the “best investment.”  

But while there are many things that are good about our system, the core problem is the steady decrease in a worker’s ability to support themselves. In most of America, the minimum income can no longer support the minimum rent. The cost of healthcare is out of reach for most workers. And the harm caused by age, race, gender, and other prejudices creates additional barriers for people who often have a disadvantage from the start.   

The New Minimum works by setting a floor, a minimum that working people deserve, which is to have access to a job where they earn enough so that they can support themselves. But instead of providing this through forced wage increases or a variety of social programs, The New Minimum makes this simple and automatic for anyone who is motivated to work. It creates a system where, in just a few days, a person can find a job, start work, and be able to pay for food, rent and healthcare. 

And while The New Minimum is focused on helping the lowest wage workers, these benefits will soon become the norm for all other income levels. With The New Minimum, a person will never lose their home because of unexpected medical bills, a family won’t go bankrupt when they lose employment because a factory is closed, a person with a disability will always be independent and support themselves, and a struggling young person will always have an option other than crime. The New Minimum is going to reset our society.

Because this program is going to have a sweeping effect, it is important to start small and grow slowly. Large cities, like New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, already have broad social and safety net programs. These cities have the budget, the personnel, and the desire to launch a program like The New Minimum. The New Minimum will not change the services that are already being provided. It will only move them into a simple, efficient, and effective program that will help even more people with the existing budget while also having a positive effect on the rest of society. 

Growing slowly will also help us build a better system and avoid any unintended consequences. The New Minimum is going to compliment the support services cities are already offering and streamline them into a single program. It is going to give the people running these programs new tools to help others become self-sufficient. Most cities are already helping many people through various social programs, The New Minimum will give us the power to help everyone. 

Lastly, while it is important to help people support themselves, it is just as important that the people currently working for government agencies (as employees, contractors, trade workers and service providers) also keep their jobs and pay level. A program like The New Minimum, designed to improve the lives of workers, MUST NEVER cause harm to any other workers. With The New Minimum, this protection is guaranteed. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you will join me as I work to make our City, our Country, and the World a better place. 

The New Minimum gets its name from “The New Minimum Wage”, but it is not a wage increase. The New Minimum is a complete social program. It uses the free market to help everyone build their best life while providing an economic safety net for our society. 

There are some who believe an increase in the minimum wage or a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the best solution. The challenge with this is that anytime the minimum wage has been increased it is always followed by an increase in the cost of living. 

The corporations selling food, medical care and housing know how much money workers have. If the government forces businesses to increase pay, these corporations know they can charge more. We need a system that makes sure when someone works harder or makes more money, that this money goes towards improving their lives, not just towards a higher cost of living. 

The New Minimum starts with something called The Employment MarketPlace. It is a place where lower skilled workers can go and immediately start a job. Employers will compete for workers. They will offer the wage they believe is correct for the worker and the worker will begin work immediately. 

When they start work, workers will receive a Debit Card that can be used to pay rent, buy health insurance, and buy food. There will be many rules how this money can be spent, but these 3 necessities will be immediately provided. Childcare and education will also be provided, but there will be additional rules for these benefits. 

When they receive their paycheck, a percentage of their income is deposited to their Debit Card to pay for housing, food, and medical insurance. In today’s economy, it is likely this percentage will not be enough to cover this cost. With The New Minimum, the difference between their contribution and the actual cost will be subsidized by the program. This takes care of their needs while putting them on the path towards self-sufficiency.  

In the beginning, The Employment MarketPlace will be limited to employers and workers who live and work in the same community. The rent will be for the smallest, lowest price apartment available in this neighborhood. For single adults it is likely this will be a shared apartment. Health insurance will be from a list of approved insurers. Food will be limited in type and quantity. But these benefits will begin immediately. 

The goal in this is that every person, regardless of their situation, can make the decision to improve their lives and achieve immediate results. 

The Employment MarketPlace connects workers to jobs and eliminates all of the obstacles, especially the obstacles that effect lower income workers. A person enters The Employment MarketPlace on a Saturday and starts work on Monday.  

Each borough will have One Employment MarketPlace set in the neighborhood with the highest unemployment. This MarketPlace will be held in a community center or school cafeteria. Each week we bring together approximately 100 employers and 100 workers. The employers offer the value they see and employees seek the best employment. Employers will need to compete for the best workers by offering higher pay.

For workers who don’t have many skills, employers are allowed to offer less than minimum wage. The only goal is that every person who enters seeking a job leaves with a job. 

Note: To comply with state and federal law, the city may need to provide funding to keep wages above legal minimums, but this is paid by the city. The employer will only need to offer the value the workers brings to their company. 

In the beginning, The Employment MarketPlace will be limited to employers and workers who live and work in the same community. The rent will be for the smallest, lowest price apartment available in this neighborhood. For single adults it is likely this will be a shared apartment. Health insurance will be from a list of approved insurers. Food will be limited in type and quantity. But these benefits will begin immediately. 

The goal in this is that every person, regardless of their situation, can make the decision to improve their lives and achieve immediate results. 

In the beginning, most jobs will be community service jobs (clean streets, schools, parks, outreach, public building support, etc.) For employers, we will look for someone with leadership skills who have demonstrated a desire to improve their community and who is willing to lead a team making their neighborhood a better place. 

To encourage higher pay from employers, the city will cover (insure) almost all of the employer liability. If the employer acts in good faith, there will be no downside to participating in the program. For the worker, as long as they make a reasonable effort, they can continue to participate in The Employment MarketPlace. Even if their first job does not work out, they can just find their next job and continue their housing, food, and medical care. 

Employers from other businesses in the neighborhood will see how this system works and request ways their company can participate. If we make it so that workers are available at any price, there will be an increase in demand for these workers. We will always be looking for an element of community service in the jobs that are offered. But, as this grows, we are going to be surprised by all of the creative ways this is going to play out.

The jobs that are offered will be for a limited time (usually 3 months). When employment ends, both the worker and the employer can return to The Employment MarketPlace. They can look for new opportunities or they can seek to continue employment. But even if they want to continue employment, they will need to complete with other offers from employers and workers. If the worker receives a better offer, the current employer will be given one “last look” to match the other offer. If both employer and worker agree, they can continue employment.

In the beginning, The New Minimum will provide the minimum (housing, food, and medical care) using the existing budget and personnel currently offering city services. But, as this program grows, there are other ways to help. 

The New Minimum will not require any new taxes. The benefits offered by The New Minimum are already being offered through other city programs. The New Minimum will only move these services into a single program that will be more efficient and much more effective. 

As workers build experience, they will want to seek employment with at higher pay outside of The Employment MarketPlace. They will leave this support system and become independent, creating an opportunity for the next person to enter the MarketPlace and receive support. 

Childcare will be included in The New Minimum, but it will be better than just subsidized care. The housing options offered through The Employment MarketPlace will also include housing with childcare. 

The workers at this in-house childcare center will also be workers from The Employment MarketPlace. This will create a community of people working together to support themselves. 

The services the city provides for mothers will be part of this housing arrangement. Community meetings with experts in childcare, single mother issues, and other mental health professionals will be a requirement for residents to live in this building. This housing will become a community that can work together and grow so that they, and their children, have a better future. 

This will be the least expensive way to provide housing and childcare…but it is also going to be better than anything we have today.  

New York City already offers some of the best programs for education in America. 

Education (high school, college, trade, employment, etc.) is important so that a worker can improve their value as an employee and “graduate” from the program. But it will be best if this can be offered in combination with employment. Their education will be much more valuable if it is targeted to a specific need of their employer. In addition, we will want both an employee and employer buy-in into the education expense. But this must be made available.