Make your initial post with your current knowledge:

Write a short paragraph responding to this scenario:

Consider the Smith family of four living across the street from you in your neighborhood/State. The Smiths have a comfortable lifestyle. They do not earn an outrageous amount of money, however, they consider themselves having a comfortable lifestyle.

• In your opinion, describe briefly what a comfortable lifestyle looks like in your neighborhood.
• In your opinion what is the Smith's annual household income to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in your neighborhood?
• Lastly, assume the annual household income is earned by one person. Calculate the hourly wage for this annual income amount.
• Do you know the current federal minimum wage? How about your State minimum wage? What is it?

For your reply:

After reading your text, make your reply post addressing the following bullet items. Support your opinions.

• Compare your description of a comfortable lifestyle to another written by one of your peers. How are they different?
• Do you think minimum wage should have remained flat for so many years?
• Should minimum wage receive annual cost-of living adjustments (COLA) like Social Security? Why?
• How does your hourly wage calculation from the Smith family compare to the federal minimum wage? Can the Smith family have a comfortable lifestyle making minimum wage? What if the Smith household was a two income family both on minimum wage? Could they maintain their comfortable lifestyle?
• Who is impacted by the minimum wage changes? Positively or negatively? How does it impact you?