36 Million

And now, this important message from John Edwards:

Dear Friend,

Elizabeth and I believe strongly in the power and dignity of hard work. I remember mornings before school when my dad would sit at the kitchen table worrying over paper work and jotting down notes. It wasn't the family bills; he was trying to improve his math skills by watching public TV programs about probability and statistics. He believed, as we do, that hard work should be the means to a better life in America.

But 36 million Americans are impoverished today - that's 13 million more than there were thirty years ago - and many are hard working men and women who simply cannot work their way out of poverty. No one has all the answers, but one solution is clear: we need to raise the minimum wage in America.

You can tell a lot about a nation's character by how its leadership treats those who are struggling. It's a national disgrace that our minimum wage is so low, and yet President Bush and Republicans in Congress refuse to raise it. I've met single mothers who work full time, some even hold down two jobs - but each month they struggle to pay the bills, and they certainly can't build assets or save up for a family crisis.

One stroke of bad luck could send them and their families over the cliff.

That's why I've been working with grassroots organizations, labor unions, elected officials, and other progressive allies to fight for a higher minimum wage, and that's why I'm asking for your support as we take this issue to the states. Next week we will rally in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Lansing, Cleveland, and Columbus to call for increases in the minimum wage. Please ask your friends to join us at these upcoming events as we push for a ballot measure on this all-important issue.

The Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress have blocked efforts to raise the federal minimum wage. By taking the issue directly to state ballots, we can go around the Republican stonewall and give greater financial opportunity to millions of working Americans. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have already enacted higher minimum wage rates over the last few years, and Nevadans will vote on a statewide measure in 2006. With your help, we can bring more states along.

Legislators take notice when grassroots organizations and thousands of voters unite behind an issue. Let's make our voices heard: encourage your friends to join us as we restore dignity and hope to hard working Americans.

Please also visit our Web site to learn more about the fight for a fair minimum wage, and check back next week to see footage from the events mentioned above.

Your friend,
John