Over the past year, a record number of states and cities have taken action to raise the minimum wage. These long-overdue wage increases have won support in both "red" and "blue" parts of the country, and have passed with the shared backing of workers and businesses alike.

In fact, a virtual consensus exists today in support of raising the minimum wage, which would not be possible if, as Mr. Romeo suggests, voters were simply responding to an "urban myth" about the challenges facing low-wage workers. To the contrary, it's a testament to just how clear that facts have become that workers, businesses, and voters across the country now agree that raising the minimum wage is a top-tier priority for boosting the economy.

It's important to look at the whole picture when considering the impact of raising the minimum wage. While it's true that those earning exactly $7.25 per hour tend to be younger, increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would raise pay for 28 million workers earning between $7.25 and $10.10 (and likely some earning just over $10.10, as employers adjust their pay scales upward).

U.S. Census Bureau data confirm the following facts about workers who would benefit from raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour:

• 88 percent are adults over the age of twenty - not teenagers, as many opponents of raising the minimum wage suggest;
• The average worker contributes nearly half of his or her family's entire income, meaning that those who would benefit from raising the minimum wage are not working for side-money but in fact are breadwinners their households;
• Over 14 million children - nearly one out of every five children in the U.S. - have at least one parent who would benefit from raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.

Indeed, it's precisely because so many workers and their families now rely on low-wage jobs to make ends meet that growing numbers of small business owners - including those in the restaurant industry -have started to support raising the minimum wage. After all, when workers do not earn enough to afford the basics, consumer spending plummets, draining the economy of the demand it needs to grow.

A poll released by Small Business Majority in March of this year found that 57 percent of small business owners support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and that 52 percent of small business owners agree that increasing the minimum wage would boost consumer demand, helping them grow and hire.

The facts are clear: raising the minimum wage is a win-win for workers and businesses alike - it's those who continue to oppose raising the minimum wage that have rested their case on a myth.

From Aftan Romanczak:
Unfortunately, the public won't realize what they have approved in wage hikes until they see the price inflation on menus because operators will not absorb the cost increase. They also don't realize that if the minimum wage is $15.00, every employee above that rate must be moved up incrementally.

From "Jeff":
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. The government is involved because you are too greedy to pay a living wage. I hope fast food prices skyrocket and you all go broke.

From Tim Borden:
Be careful what you wish for, consumers!

From "Roccobiale":
If the public votes in favor of these wage hikes, what you will see is restaurants do either or both of the following: Replace servers with tablets, or add a service fee to the check ( replacing the tip) and the restaurant controls the fee and distributes the monies as they see fit. Restaurants can't pay servers $15 and have them make $ 200 a night while the back of the house gets paid way less. [It] can't happen.

From "Roccobiale":
Putting the minimum wage to a vote is like asking the foxes if they want to the door to the chicken coop left open. Why is government involved in the business of setting wages for private industry?

Churches United of the Quad City Area has received a $1,500.00 grant from The Rauch Family Foundation, in support of its food pantries in the Illinois portion of the Quad City Area.

Churches United has a 53-year history of reaching out to our community. Its 134 member churches represent 50,000 people from the Quad City Area. As well as Winnie's Place, a shelter for women (with or without children) who are homeless and/or victims of domestic violence, Churches United operates 25 food pantries and 3 hot meal sites in the Quad City Area. For information about services offered, or ways to support Churches United, call 563-332-5002, or visit our website at www.CUQCA.org.

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In continued effort to address student loan debt and college affordability, Congressman reaches out to Iowans

Washington, D.C. - After a recent report showing a 12-fold increase in the cost of college tuition in the last 30 years, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today called on Iowans to share their stories receiving and repaying student loans. Braley will share the comments he receives with Department of Education in his continued effort to address the student debt crisis and college affordability.

"I was lucky to receive college student loans when I attended Iowa State, but my experience pales in comparison to present-day graduates who have the highest level of student loan debt in history," Braley said. "We've got to find solutions to rising tuition costs and rising debt burdens, and a big piece of that hearing and sharing the first-person stories of those facing these challenges."

Braley is seeking personal stories from Iowans that have taken out student loans and/or are repaying those loans, and the challenges they have faced to further their education goals. Stories can be shared on his website at: braley.house.gov

Braley recently sponsored the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, allowing individuals to refinance their student loan debt at lower interest rates, helping address the record high levels of crippling loan debt and delinquencies increasingly affecting millions of students and their families. The U.S. Department of Education estimates this new legislation would benefit 311,000 Iowa student borrowers.

Student loan debt today totals $1.2 trillion, $864 billion of which is backed by the federal government. More than 70 percent of students who graduated from college in 2012 had student loan debt.

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CANTON, MO (09/04/2014)(readMedia)-- Over 550 Culver-Stockton students, faculty and staff participated in the sixth annual Extreme Dome Makeover, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, volunteering their services to fix up 16 different sites in Canton, Missouri.

Local students who participated in this event include :

Austin Pyrtle, freshman musical theatre major of Davenport (52806)

Alex Draper, sophomore biology major of Muscatine (52761)

Volunteers spent the day doing various activities like painting, landscaping and cleaning. Project sites included both public areas and private residences. Public sites included Canton Senior Housing, City Hall, Martin Park, the Mississippi River Park, the Canton Community Garden and more.

Extreme Dome Makeover provides the opportunity to introduce incoming students to the community of Canton, as well as to their classmates, advisors and neighbors.

"We want our students to know that being a servant leader is important. Hopefully by the time they graduate they will know that importance and they'll be able to lead service projects in their own community ," said Dean of Students Chris Gill.

Culver-Stockton College, located in Canton, Mo., is a four-year residential institution in affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). C-SC specializes in experiential education and is one of only two colleges in the nation to offer the 12/3 semester calendar, where the typical 15 week semester is divided into two terms, a 12-week term and a 3-week term.