If you’re an hourly employee making Maryland’s minimum wage of $6.15, you’re getting a raise.

But, don’t expect it to matter much. Instead of making $6.15 an hour, you’ll now be making $6.55 an hour. Let’s look at that a different way.

You’re still basically in poverty, as defined by the federal government. The poverty level is set at $10,000 a year for an individual. At these new rates, you’ll be making $13,624 in a 40-hour work week — just $3,624 more than you’d be making in poverty. And that’s if you take absolutely no time off.

If you take a two-week vacation, you’ll be making just $3,100 more than the federal poverty level. Gee, thanks.

The 40-cent increase in the minimum wage will affect about 64,000 Marylanders, according to Southern Maryland Online (click).

You know what businesses always say about minimum wage increases. Something like, “It’s going to force me to lay off some workers because I won’t be able to afford the wage increase.” And you know what workers always say, “I’m grateful for it. Every little bit helps.”

I know times are tough, but if a wage increase of 40-cents per worker is going to break your business, you’re probably going under anyway.

I’m not exactly overwhelmed with happiness to see my fellow Marylanders work some of the worst jobs in the state to just barely be out of poverty at the end of the year. Let’s not kid ourselves. While this is a good step forward for workers across the country, it’s more appeasement than a real solution.

Let’s not forget where this minimum wage increase came from. Last year, it was passed by an overwhelming vote in the Senate — 348 to 73 — only because it was tied to a major funding bill for the war in Iraq (click). It was the first raise in about 10 years.

As a part of the bill, the minimum wage will be increasing to $7.25 next year.

A 40-cent increase. Does it matter?

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