"But Yeager said that a family with two wage earners and two school-age children in 2014 would need $17.22 an hour to meet a "self-sufficiency standard""

Hmm, you should get what your skill level can demand. Low wage workers get what they deserve, otherwise there will be no incentive to go to school and make a better living.

Is anyone else bothered by the fact that the County government is the third largest employer? That doesn't even include all the Federal, State, and Municipal government people. Wow.

The law of Supply and Demand requires that if employers are able to pay people less, then there will be more people employed. The more people employed means that there will be less unemployment (more Supply) and therefore less Demand for jobs. That is the law of Supply and Demand. It is inexorable and unyielding.

Now, if employers cannot pay their employees a very small wage, then there will be less employment (less Supply) and therefore more Demand for jobs. We don't want that do we? That is the law of Supply and Demand. Understand that and you understand everything.

Why can't our government understand the law of Supply and Demand? It is so simple and tells us how to live our lives.

I take offense to some of the comments made. I am a dedicated worker and have worked in the nonprofit field that contracts with the County for 25 years serving our community. It's tough working in Santa Clara County and trying to stay a float. While the price to live here has gone up, my wages haven't. I look forward to see what they come up with.

I take offense at the assertion that every job should be a "living wage" job. There needs to be room in the job market for people who are getting started, learning skills, and the like. Minimum wage jobs are not careers, they are the first rung of the ladder. If we cut it off, we'll just be looking at a bunch more people at the bottom who can't reach the first step.

To the extent we talk about a "living wage", it should be the amount needed to support one person. If you want to have kids, make yourself valuable enough to earn enough to afford them rather than expecting everyone else to do it for you.