Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Increase Minimum Wage

By Kamala Budhathoki Sarup 

 Published in Cape May County Herald.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed legislation that would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $8.38 to $15 an hour following New Jersey State Senate’s approval which would have implemented a gradual increase.

It's the second time Christie rejected a minimum wage hike. He stated that increasing wages would make businesses in New Jersey unaffordable.

According to media reports, when announcing his veto Christie stated, "All of this sounds great, raising the minimum wage, when you're spending someone else's money."

In my opinion, it is very important to raise the minimum wage for many single mothers and people who are having a hard time living with a minimum paycheck. Most men and women who are holding low-paying jobs in New Jersey are dependent on government support like food stamps, partial unemployment, etc., because they can't afford it even if they work two jobs with minimum wage pay. Even when people work more than 40 hours in a week, they are still unable to support their family and this is a sad reality we are facing right now.

After Labor Day, there are very few full-time jobs in areas of Cape May County. Many people who work in retail stores, restaurants and hotels start working fewer hours. Many people are unable to get jobs in the winter season because they can't find the full-time jobs they want and need. Raising the minimum wage is the best way to increase the living standard and people will have to be less dependent upon the government.

Increasing the wages doesn't necessarily mean low profits for companies. Looking at the wages provided to the employees at Costco Wholesale Corporation (one of the largest retailers in the world) proves it. Costco pays more than other retail companies in the U.S. By doing this, employees are more than satisfied. Hence, Costco can be an example; if you pay more than the minimum to your employees you get the best people to work for you which results in an increase in business and economy.

I don’t think raising wages will result in short-term success, as the government assistance system needs to be reformed, but in the long run, raising the minimum wage is the best way to stimulate our economy in New Jersey. 

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Copyright http://www.mediaforfreedom.com

Thursday, September 1, 2016

The body decays – but love endures.



By Kamala Budhathoki Sarup Kamala 
 
Published in UPI Asia Blog, Newsblaze.com, Opednews.com, Scoop.co.nz, Webcommentary.com, mediaforfreedom.com 
 
"Lovely friend Kamala," my friend sent me these words by email. "Whenever you allow yourself to feel the extreme of love and the extreme of freedom and peace, pain and sorrow will be wiped out. My words will provide you a place as the morning breeze does. This is the foundation of love and peace." This part of the long email sent by my friend suddenly increased the beatings of my heart. I wonder how it is that love sent through an email can play such a sensitive role in my life. "One can live in a loving atmosphere." This is a lesson that I learned from my friend. I too started to send my feelings via email. "When I feel love for small children, older people, poor people, that moment becomes the most important moment imaginable. The imagination recalls; so sweet a recollection I never expected.
 
 I am certain that people are lovely, like the touch of poem – it seems as if our love could be permanent and unbelievable." A cool breeze is blowing and I can see the long river outside. It has become my duty to look out at this lively river. “What I am feeling now is that our way of thinking, assumptions and lifestyle are similar. I believe in deep friendship, which I think must be delicate as well. I am fond of flowers. I love children. " In the early morning, I passed on this message to my friend through the telephone. I am not sure whether my friend heard the word flower or not, but what is a comfort to me is that my friend seems as delicate as me; perhaps my friend is a good student and a poet. I can feel delicacy in voice. 
 
Although friend speaks well and clearly into the phone, it feels as though we are on opposite sides of this earth. Probably, we will meet soon or see one another. The result of this probability could be positive. And now, yet again, I watch the people walking on the road while I sit on the bench outside of my home. Like the people, I am also busy. My school friend had invited me on a trip to visit Washington, DC, with him, for a holiday. 
 
I had replied civilly, "Thank you! But I am so busy that I don't even have time to think for myself. Maybe I'll be unable to maintain to visit for awhile. We are both are so busy and don't have leisure time to spend. It is better to keep our lives separate." he became quite sad and went off without notice. I suddenly felt uneasy and sought the refuge of my home. Turning back to the computer, I see another email from my friend, asking me to send my photo. Email makes me forget myself. I begin yet another email response. 
 
"The sky and heart should be unified. We are to live for our future and the plans that we imagine. I love you, I love children, I love older people, I love poor people. But I can't express enough love. Our love may or may not bring us together, but what is certain is that it will live a long time, like a story or poem. "We must continue our love for children and women. Love is far more important. The body decays – but love endures. If we accept this principle, we will be one step forward in the field of love and we can dedicate ourselves for the immortality of love forgiveness, kindness, freedom and peace."
 Copyright mediaforfreedom.com