Minimum wage now lower than in 1956

July 24th marked the anniversary of last year's raise in the federal minimum wage. No new increases are scheduled.

The current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. According to the nonpartisan Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, "[that's] lower than the minimum wage of 1956, which was $8.02 adjusted for inflation. 1956 is 54 years ago."

So the richest 2 or 3 percent of Americans continue to get richer while our middle-class and working-class folks are seeing their standards of living deteriorate rapidly.

For so many people, through no fault of their own, the American dream has become a nightmare.

But Congress is scared to death of ruffling the feathers of their corporate overlords. So I don't see fairer wages coming any time soon.

So the rest of us will just have to continue to suffer.