Instead of taking a cab, he walked for a mile in 90 degree heat. Instead of fresh fruits and vegetables, he ate bologna and McDonalds. His budget—$77, a minimum wage equivalent—still ran out before the week was up, which meant he lost the “Live the Wage” challenge. It was the best outcome former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) could have hoped for.
For a week, Strickland tried to live off of minimum wage, about $77 after taxes and housing expenses, to garner support for a congressional push the raise the federal minimum wage by 3 dollars. He didn’t make it to the end—really the only politically savvy outcome for the vocal raise-the-wage proponent.
In an article for Politico Magazine, Strickland used his failed attempt to “live the wage” to bolster his argument that the federal minimum wage should be increased.
“I know I’ll never be able to truly walk in the shoes of a minimum wage worker, but experiencing just some of the decisions this income requires on a daily basis is enough to understand that we need to do better for these hardworking families,” he wrote.
At the beginning of the week, Strickland tweeted a picture of his “Live the Wage” dinner of bologna, celery, and bread.
Dinner: bologna, celery, bread — from Sunday’s grocery trip. Join the #LiveTheWage challenge http://t.co/LKNpqcGU8Z pic.twitter.com/5fPzHoYvHl
— Ted Strickland (@Ted_Strickland) July 23, 2014
He also tweeted a photo of his lunch during the challenge, courtesy of McDonald’s Dollar Menu.
Today’s lunch came off the McDonalds dollar menu, where workers deserve a raise: http://t.co/g47CI7neEq #LivetheWage pic.twitter.com/QWCmUMtnRh
— Ted Strickland (@Ted_Strickland) July 23, 2014
Strickland’s failure to “live the wage” comes as no surprise to those who see the challenge as a political stunt designed to garner support for the federal minimum wage hike.
“…this isn’t a challenge you’re supposed to win,” Ohio Watchdog wrote about “Live the Wage,” several days before Strickland announced his failure to make it through the week. “You see, if legislators have to get by on a minimum wage income, even just for a week, they’ll fail and, realizing how hard it is, will eagerly vote for an increase.”
Strickland’s failure doesn’t prove a need to raise the minimum wage. It proves that so-called failures can be drivers of political success.
