Do you think raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour will help or hurt the economy?

Arleen & Ericka Smith, Avon – We think it’s good. It gives people an opportunity to be paid a wage that they have a better chance of living off of.

Damaris Adamo, Ocean Grove – It’s a mixed bag. I’ve had to hire adults with children, responsibilities and all that comes with it, and they can’t live on $10 an hour. Not in New Jersey. Who could? I’ve also hired many teenagers, good workers, great little kids. And they generally learn on the job. And I have to pay them $10 an hour. You have to balance that. It creates a dilemma.

Dr Michael Brantley, Neptune – Of all the studies that I’ve seen and the reports I’ve read about increasing the minimum wage, none have shown more than a negligible effect on employers. The economy as a whole clearly benefits, for those receiving that increase, spend it right back into the economy. Thus, it helps the entire economy in the long run. If you raise the minimum wage it’ll decrease the need for social programs.

Christine Cardellino, Belmar – I think it would help the economy. It would help people to pay their bills better and have a better standard of living. I think employers should pay-up and give people a fair wage.

Anthony & Athena Ceres, Asbury Park – We think it will help the economy. At first, small businesses might suffer a little bit, but, eventually, it will even out. If the minimum wage went up over the years on tandem with the cost of living, we’d be over $15 an hour right now. The extra money that is made will be pumped back into the economy.

Rick Colyard, Asbury Park – I think it will help. How can you live on 7 bucks an hour? It’s tough out there these days. I think it will encourage people to go to work. And then they’ll have money to put back into the economy. I definitely think it’s a good thing.

Tom DeSeno, Asbury Park – I’m for it. The money has to come from someplace to get to these workers. The money is running out from all the federal and state programs to support these people. It’s about time the big giant corporations kicked in. Our president didn’t go far enough when he raised the federal workers wages. He should have included all the workers.

Robin Gillett, Union Beach – No, I don’ think the minimum wage should be raised. I think it will drive some small businesses out. Also, some will have to work harder because they won’t be hiring more staff. Minimum wage jobs are not supposed to be career jobs. You can’t expect to live on a minimum wage job.

Harry Lee Harris, Neptune – I don’t know about the overall economy, but it would be good for the young man or working woman. And it’s still not enough to live on, but it’s a start. How about making it $20 an hour. Maybe they can live on that. The big shots make $100,000 a week and complain about people making $20 an hour.

Daniel Mory, Asbury Park – Actually, I think it would be bad. It will force people not to hire and that’s one of the biggest problems right now. I feel it will just add to the unemployment problem.

Nick Reiser, Red Bank – You can’t hurt the economy anymore than it’s hurting right now. Our currency is 4% of it’s initial value. There’s 80 trillion in unfunded liabilities in Medicare, and our economy makes 15 trillion a year. Raising the barrier to entry is just going to reduce the number of jobs on the market.

Richard Rivera, Long Branch – I think it would help out a lot of people. It’s hard to survive out there, making less than $10 an hour. Right now rents are very high. It’s hard to feed a family of 2 or 3 on minimum wage.