Part Three
NOTE: Revised
1) Whether a person works 4 hours or 40 hours per week, they should be paid proportionally at the full 40 hour rate. A full hours work deserves a full hours wage.
2) Minus $___ for Federal Income Tax, $___ for Social Security, and $___for Medicare. The Federal Income Tax rate (15%) is based on monthly deductions outlined in the Internal Revenue Service Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide (Rev. January 2000), Social Security is 6.2% of gross income, and Medicare is 1.45% of gross monthly income (Total equals $____)House the Homeless recognizes that there are other major portions of the ordinance that are also unconstitutional. Therefore, we, the poorest citizens of Austin, call upon the duly elected members of the City Council to set aside this ordinance and repeal its use as it has been 1. a waste of tax dollars, 2. inappropriately punitive, 3. unconstitutional, and 4. selectively enforced against the poorest among us.
Instead, we call upon this Council to exercise its legal authority under the state laws of Texas to raise the minimum wage standard for all workers to at least the same level that the city presently pays the least of its workers. (It is a known fact that the Federal Minimum Wage of $5.15 per hour will not empower anyone to secure even the cheapest form of housing in Austin.)
Given the opportunity, we the homeless of Austin, will work ourselves off of the streets of Austin. We call for the PASSAGE OF A FAIR, UNIVERSAL LIVING WAGE for ALL citizens. Why should taxpayers be needlessly burdened with paying for excessive public assistance, when those of us who are not disabled, if paid a fair living wage, would be able and willing to house ourselves?!
The Universal Living Wage Formula is based on: 1. existing governmental guidelines and 2. the moral premise that anyone who is willing to work a 40 hour week, should be able to access housing.
Thank you,
Richard R. Troxell