Edwin Erwin: If you add housing, medical, military minimums rise

Re “Shouldn’t get more than military” (Page 3B, March 11): The previous letter suggested the minimum wage should be based on the wages of an E1 (private) in the military ($8.92 per hour or $18,561 year) left out a few items that would add to the actual wages of an E1.

First, you should add the cost of housing, utilities and meals to the wage total. Medical and clothing costs should also be included. Other factors that would contribute to the total are transportation, life insurance, higher education benefits and also retirement after 20 years of service. All these things are appropriate costs to the public for the services rendered by our military.

If these costs were added to the $8.92 per hour proposed in the March 11 letter, I am sure the wage would far exceed the $15 per hour being discussed in California and other states.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Edwin Erwin: If you add housing, medical, military minimums rise."