ation ▁have ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁when ▁w ages ▁aren ' t ▁sufficient , ▁low - w age ▁workers ▁are ▁often ▁forced ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁public ▁assistance ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁food ▁st amps ▁or ▁Med ica id . ▁ ▁James ▁Par rott ▁of ▁the ▁F is cal ▁Policy ▁Institute ▁test ified ▁during ▁a ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Council ▁meeting ▁that ▁real ▁w ages ▁for ▁low - w age ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁have ▁decl ined ▁substantial ly ▁over ▁the ▁last ▁ 2 0 ▁years , ▁despite ▁dram atic ▁increases ▁in ▁average ▁education ▁levels . ▁A ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁F is cal ▁Policy ▁Institute ▁indicated ▁that ▁business ▁tax ▁subs id ies ▁have ▁grown ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁times ▁faster ▁than ▁overall ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁tax ▁collections ▁and ▁asks ▁why ▁these ▁public ▁resources ▁are ▁inv ested ▁in ▁pover ty - level ▁jobs . ▁Mr . ▁Par rott ▁test ified ▁that ▁income ▁inequality ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁exceed s ▁that ▁of ▁other ▁large ▁cities , ▁with ▁the ▁highest - ear ning ▁ 1 ▁percent ▁receiving ▁ 4 4 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁income . ▁ ▁Miami - D ade ▁County ▁ ▁The ▁Community ▁Co al ition ▁for ▁a ▁Living ▁W age ▁( CC L W ) ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁in ▁Miami , ▁Florida , ▁as ▁a ▁partners hip ▁between ▁local ▁anti - p over ty ▁and ▁labor ▁organizations ▁Catal yst ▁Miami , ▁Leg al ▁Services ▁of ▁Gre ater ▁Miami , ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁Florida ▁A FL -