Now that the U.S. Congress in session again, the Democrats are pushing to increase the federal minimum wage, now set at $7.25 an hour. I have suggestion: Don’t do it. There’s a better way.

The Democrats make some good points. No one can support a family on $7.25 an hour, for one thing. Even one person can hardly subsist on that. As a result, even some working people must depend on charity and government programs. Most people don’t like accepting charity. It’s demeaning. They’d rather support themselves, if they could.

The Democrats also point out that in real terms (what a dollar will buy), the minimum wage has actually fallen since 1968 when it was $1.60 an hour. That $1.60 in 1968 bought time-and-a-half what $7.25 buys today. So the poor struggle harder than ever today.

Then there’s the huge (and growing) gap between the rich and poor in the U.S., a favorite theme of Democrats. The middle class, whose labors in the 20th century made America the most powerful nation in the world, is rapidly vanishing. We’re becoming a nation of the very rich and the very poor. This could lead to social upheaval, something the Democrats (and Republicans, too) would surely like to avoid. Raising the minimum wage would help narrow that gap, Democrats say.

But there’s a problem with raising the minimum wage. Yes, the working poor would be better off, but small business owners would be worse off. They, too, struggle to make ends meet. They have more money than the poor, but they must factor into their budgets the cost of running a business. If you raise that cost by requiring them to pay their employees more, it could drive some of them out of business and their employees would then become jobless. No one wants that.

Here’s my better idea. Increase the amount paid to minimum-wage workers, but don’t require their employers to pay it. Let me pay it, and others like me who live comfortably and have discretionary income that, if diminished slightly, we would hardly miss.

I’m not fabulously rich by U.S. standards (though by global standards I certainly am) and I want to help the poor. I do it now by contributing to various charities and doing volunteer work. But why not let all the well-to-do share in helping the poor? I suggest a tax (I know the word tax is anathema to many people, but not all taxes are alike) on those of us who have more money than we need. I’d be happy to pay it if I knew I was helping those less fortunate, and I’ll bet many others would, too.

Mea culpa

I owe Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn an apology. One year ago, I wrote a column for this newspaper expressing my New Year’s wishes. It was a tongue-in-cheek piece. Some may even have thought it snide or smarmy.

I extended my (mostly) good wishes to all sorts of people and institutions, including Gus Malzahn. Here’s what I wished for Coach Malzahn:

“A couple of inspiring, lopsided wins for you next year, even if they must be against Florida Atlantic and Western Carolina.”

In 2012, Auburn finished with a 3-9 record and everybody knows it takes more than one year to rebuild after such a disastrous season. I figured, not unreasonably, that if they were very lucky, the team might finish with an even won-loss record in 2013. More likely, they’d have another losing season.

So I wished them lopsided victories against the two teams on their 2013 schedule that I thought anybody could beat. And sure enough, they defeated Florida Atlantic by a score of 45-10 and Western Carolina by 62-3.

But who would have imagined the Tigers (or is it the War Eagles? I wish someone would explain that to me) would win the S.E.C. title and come within a few seconds of winning the B.C.S. championship?

So my message to Gus Malzahn this New Year is this: “Congratulations, sir, to you and your team. You surprised us all. I apologize for my cursory dismissal of you a year ago, and I promise not to do it again.”

Richard H. Schmidt is a retired Episcopal priest, editor and author who lives in Fairhope. He can be reached at courier@gulfcoastnewspapers.com.