I was appalled reading the Sun Journal article “Minimum wage bills divisive” (March 12). Dick Grotton, of the restaurant association, was quoted as saying, “There’s always someone at the bottom of the ladder.”

Does that justify paying someone below a livable wage?

The restaurant association, representatives of convenience stores and representatives of Marden’s were among those who testified against raising the minimum wage.

I commend Reps. Mike Carey and John Tuttle for introducing bills that would increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage in Maine is currently $7.50 per hour. That is $15,600 per year for a full-time worker.

If the minimum wage were increased, those workers would spend this income on their basic needs. That would improve the economy, while supporting the workers and their families.

Currently, some workers making minimum wage require state assistance to meet their basic needs. Even worse are the minimum wage jobs without benefits.

People deserve a decent wage. Businesses that pay employees the minimum wage, without benefits, are not going to go out of business because of an increase in the minimum wage. If anything, their business will improve, with more people having a little more money to spend.

Having a socioeconomic ladder or a pyramid structure in a business is not something to be proud of, especially if it is used to justify economic injustice.

Now is the time to act to increase the minimum wage and improve people’s quality of life.

Penthea Burns, Lewiston