
A mandatory “living wage” of fifteen dollars an hour would “act as a contraceptive, preventing teenage pregnancy,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) tweeted Tuesday.
Booker tweeted a quote from a New York Times Magazine opinion piece as his argument for legislation mandating a minimum wage of $15:
“A living wage is an antidepressant. It is a sleep aid. A diet. A stress reliever. It is a contraceptive, preventing teenage pregnancy. It prevents premature death. It shields children from neglect.” —@just_shelter This is why we must #FightFor15.

In his “Dollars on the Margin” commentary in the magazine, Mathew Desmond says the $15 minimum wage won’t just prevent pregnancy, it’ll also serve as an antidepressant and “prevent premature death”:
“A $15 minimum wage is an antidepressant. It is a sleep aid. A diet. A stress reliever. It is a contraceptive, preventing teenage pregnancy. It prevents premature death. It shields children from neglect. But why? Poverty can be unrelenting, shame-inducing and exhausting. When people live so close to the bone, a small setback can quickly spiral into a major trauma. Being a few days behind on the rent can trigger a hefty late fee, which can lead to an eviction and homelessness. An unpaid traffic ticket can lead to a suspended license, which can cause people to lose their only means of transportation to work. In the same way, modest wage increases have a profound impact on people’s well-being and happiness.”