I started this audio book today. It had me wondering.. What if the Congresspeople who approve the minimum wage rate had to live one month under such a wage before they could vote on the issue? This applies to a number of issue; medicare, medicade, social security.
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Barbara Ehrenreich
Update 10/21/2008:
This a short book. The audio book is about 8 hours. The author moved to three different areas of the country where she worked and lived for a month; Florida, Maine, and Minneapolis. In Florida, it was waitressing, Maine was working in a corporate Maid shop, and Minneapolis was Walmart.
She was able to scrape by in each locale, except Minneapolis, where it cost about $50 a day to live and work in the area. When she exceeded here reserve she quit and went home. This was due to a lack of low income housing around 2000. I can attest to this by the comments from co-workers who lived there at the time.
Everyone should read at least some of this book.