President Obama’s State of the Union Address included a call for an increase in the Federal minimum wage – placing a renewed emphasis on the critical issue of making ends meet for many working Americans. Obama has asked Congress to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25/ hour, a move that could potentially affect millions of working Americans. Minimum wage earners – such as cooks, janitors, and aides to the elderly – often struggle to make ends meet. Such an increase could help reduce the widening gap…