During President Obama's fifth State of the Union address, he made some strong points about the benefits of paying a living wage, and said that he would increase the minimum wage for government contractors to $10.10. While I applaud this measure, I think it smacks of hypocrisy given that there are currently unpaid interns both at the White House and in Congress. Not only is this a betrayal of the point for which Mr. Obama stands, it gives unfair advantage to wealthier people who can afford to work without pay, and so prevents many competent individuals who were not born with the gift of a large bank account to get a good start in national politics. If America truly is a land of opportunity where you can succeed by working hard, this problem should be resolved.
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