MINIMUM WAGE AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH
Your otherwise excellent cover story, “Addressing children’s mental health,” (Sept. 11) states that the problems stem from “influence from a rapidly increasing number of technology and social media offerings in the past two decades.” That is indeed part of it, but it’s more like three or even four decades. I think the main cause of child and teen mental illness is caused by corporate child care.
Before President Ronald Reagan and his Republican Congress were in power, the minimum wage was a living wage that would meet all of a small, young family’s needs. One minimum wage paycheck was enough to pay the bills, and mom stayed home and raised children. Only single parents needed child care. In 1969, a McDonald’s hamburger was 15 cents, the minimum wage 10 times that. When I was 16, working at a drive-in theater, I bought a brand-new professional Canon 35 mm camera for $50 from a big store.
I saw no homeless people until the 1990s. But there was inflation in the 70s and 80s that made the pandemic inflation in 2020 look like nothing, and Congress refused to raise wages. There are those who claim that raising the minimum wage causes inflation, but there isn’t a single instance in history of that ever happening. Because of the shamefully tiny federal minimum wage our heartless Congress refuses to raise, today’s children are being denied a loving parent during the most vulnerable part of their life. Instead of a loving parent, children are herded into day care with a mob of strange kids led by strange adults. Today, American children are orphans with absent parents.
That 15-cent McDonald’s burger today costs $2.49. If Congress wants to fight childhood mental illness, they should raise the minimum wage to $24.90. Most of America’s problems today are a direct cause of the shamefully tiny minimum wage. America’s legislators and rich are pathetically heartless and blind to reality.
Steve McGrew
Springfield
HARD TO FIND PROVIDERS
I work for Central Illinois Service Access, a social services agency advocating for those with special needs and overseeing their services. Any of the kids or adults who are dually diagnosed – i.e., suffer from both a mental health diagnosis as well as an intellectual disability – are struggling even more. Most are on a Medicaid waiver and there are so few doctors who are willing to accept that insurance. That number is even lower when you are trying to find a psychiatrist who understands disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and a myriad of other diagnosis.
Kelly Smarjesse-Miller
Springfield
DON’T BAN HEMP
The recent efforts to ban hemp products at the federal level may have stalled, but the fight is far from over. Lawmakers who support a ban have already promised to continue pushing for it.
At CBD Botanicals, we agree wholeheartedly that hemp products should never be accessible to children. However, the answer is smart regulation – not a ban. The vast majority of hemp products are intended for responsible adults seeking natural, non-addictive wellness alternatives. In fact, many of the products we offer aren’t even used by people, but rather help pets find relief from pain, anxiety and age-related conditions.
Our customers aren’t looking for gimmicks or novelty snacks disguised as hemp. They come to us because they want safe, dependable products to help manage chronic pain, improve sleep, reduce stress, and support overall well-being. Many of these items contain little to no intoxicating properties and are chosen specifically because they offer relief without the risks associated with pharmaceuticals.
My commitment – and the commitment of CBD Botanicals – is to the health and safety of our community. With a background in the pharmaceutical industry, I was drawn to hemp because of its potential to provide healthier, plant-based alternatives. I believe deeply in these products, and I am fully committed to protecting kids while continuing to serve the adults who rely on hemp for a better quality of life.
Concerns about safety and underage access are real, and they must be addressed. But banning hemp would close down small businesses like ours and take away products that countless people depend on. Instead of prohibition, we urge lawmakers at every level to pursue balanced, thoughtful regulation that ensures both consumer access and youth protection.
Jim Weddigen
Springfield
This article appears in October 2-8, 2025.
You should fact check your letters. Ronald Reagan never had a “Republican Congress”. Tip O’Neill, Democrat of Massachusetts, was House majority leader during the entire time of Reagan’s presidency.
These seem to be just different terms used by different groups of people throughout human history to describe the same ancient phenomenon perpetrated by a non-human AI program.