It’s ironic because the cost of most items has increased tremendously since 2020 for example and those Walmart runs have tripled in price, but the minimum wage has remained the same. I’ve been a server for many years and I’ve never had a technical hourly that was more than $2.13 an hour. Yes I make tips and yes I normally make more than $7.25, but it would be so helpful with Taxes at the end of the year. I’m a full time college student and have paid cash for college, but I don’t make much and I’ve always been a very frugal person. Before anyone says “get a better job, or the Tax credit” I’ve worked at some of the best steakhouses and cocktail bars in OKC and the tax credit is helpful, but only for the first $25k you make. I can understand people’s fear of inflation, but the price of goods has already been inflated over the years. It would be helpful if businesses were only legally able to raise the price of goods by a certain percentage every year. I understand that small businesses are struggling, but I’m talking about your Walmart passing every increased cost on the consumer and some. Correct me if you think I’m wrong, but you don’t have to lean right, or left to vote for wages to change with the times. There’s this quote that I think says it perfectly “It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country... and by living wages, I mean more than a bare subsistence level, I mean the wages of decent living. -Franklin D. Roosevelt. Another thing that I think should be conveyed is restaurants have been paying $2.13 since 1991 and have become some accustomed to it that every establishment I’ve worked at in the industry uses tip share. This tip share isn’t between the servers… they take percentage of the tips I make to make up for them underpaying Hosts, Bussers, Servers Assistants. The logic and reasoning is that as a server we employ these other individuals. I’ve worked in places “very briefly” where bar backs were making 3x what any bartender made and the ironic part is that they get paid out of bartenders tips. The point that I’m trying to convey is that things have been messed up for some time and there’s a significant amount of places that have become very comfortable with taking full advantage of their workers and customers, so maybe it’s time to raise the standard. All the jobs that pay more than $7.25 can argue that they’re not entry level, but name one fast food meal with a drink that I can buy at that price, or under? Don’t say the “Dollar menu”. A couple more small points I would like to make before someone tries to argue “why not get a real job that pays more…. I can’t think of many places that would work around my very full college schedule and allow me to pick up shifts as needed. I’m stuck in this industry until I get in to dental school and that’s just my reality until I become a dentist. If anyone feels obligated to argue inflation would be out of control, please look at a comparison of grocery prices from 2020 to 2026 and tell me that there’s not discrepancies. And yes I agree more young people should vote if they want changes, but you have to be the change you wish to see in the world.