Teens and the election: Minimum wage most important issue to many local youths

During her sophomore and junior years of high school, Brianna Egbuka worked a minimum-wage paying job at Dairy Queen.

The Cape Central High School senior is in favor of Proposition B, which will increase the state's minimum wage to $6.50 an hour with automatic adjustments based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

"But if they increase minimum wage, they can't raise the price of everything else," she said.

Egbuka's fellow 18-year-old classmates, Robert Weir, Emily Hiett and Andy Billmeyer each believe the minimum wage increase as a good thing -- especially since their living expenses continue to raise.

Gas to fill up their vehicle's has become more expensive since they started driving. The cost of a movie ticket, CD's and clothing continues to jump each year.

Why not increase the minimum wage?

The current federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour hasn't changed since the 1990s. Raising minimum wage by $1.35 an hour would match the annual inflation rate.

Over the summer, Billmeyer worked for a construction company in Alaska, where the minimum wage is $7.15 an hour. Billmeyer said he made $8.50 an hour, but noticed certain items cost more in Alaska than in Missouri.

"A cheeseburger value meal at McDonald's in Alaska was like $6, where here it's about $4," he said. "I can see how you have to give and take a little for certain things when you're making more money."

About 10 miles north, Jackson High School students have the same feelings as their Central rivals about increasing the minimum wage.

Senior Steve Beggerman, 17, can't vote until the next election but encourages his fellow 18-year-old seniors to vote yes for Proposition B. "It could be a really good thing," he said.

Dallas Eakes, 18, held several minimum wage jobs in the past. He's been searching for a new job, and would like to get paid more when he finds one.

"It's too low right now," he said. "When you're only making $5.15 an hour, that's not much at all."

While the high school students are strongly in favor of Proposition B, the question is: Will they vote on Nov. 7?

Jackson High School senior Chris Kamp will cast a ballot at the Nov. 7 elections. The son of Judge Gary Kamp believes all 18-year-olds should vote.

"We are the future. We need to have a say in what goes on in this country," Kamp said.

According to the U.S. Census, only 18 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 2002 midterm elections.

"I think a lot of young people don't really know what's going on in the elections, which is why they don't vote," Kamp said.

Hiett, Cape Central's student body president, believes young voters should become more aware of the issues and candidates on the ballot. "But I do think it's better not to vote, than to vote uninformed," she said.

In government classes at both high schools, teachers like Central's Bill Springer and Jackson's Frances Dooley keep their students informed with issues in the political world. However, many of the students simply don't have an interest.

"We've got more important issues to worry about in high school," said Tom Wood, an 18-year-old senior at Jackson High School.

When high school students have homework, after school jobs, sports, girlfriends and boyfriends to worry about -- politics seem to fall towards the bottom of the list, Wood said.

The students say celebrity-endorsed political advertisements on television won't sway their votes. Recent ads feature actor Michael J. Fox, Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan and National Football League quarterback Kurt Warner speaking about the stem cell research amendment.

"I read the actual stem cell research bill to get informed," Weir said. "I don't care one bit about the celebrities talking about it."

But will Weir show up to cast his vote on Nov. 7?

He said he plans to.

jfreeze@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246