San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria hopes to highlight how tough it is to live on the minimum wage in San Diego by doing it himself for a week.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria hopes to highlight how tough it is to live on the minimum wage in San Diego by doing it himself for a week.

It's part of his effort to drum up support for raising the minimum wage.

For one week, Gloria says he'll make the same hard choice many San Diegans do: how to spend $51 -- the amount he says is left for people earning minimum wage after housing and taxes.

"You're left with really difficult choices of whether you want to eat, or pay for transportation, childcare. These are the impossible decisions that many and many of San Diegans are forced to do every day," Gloria said.

The stunt is in response to a movement trying to reverse the City's Council's decision to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour. Gloria says paid signature gathers may mislead people in attempt to strike down the wage increase.

Over at Rosecrans Car Wash, you'll find owner Brian Lee, who says it was tough enough when the minimum wage went up to $9 an hour.

"When that went up from $8 to $9, I'm paying my guys more which is good, but I also had to compensate to maintain my same type of margin. So I was forced to raise my prices, which some customers have noticed and made comments on," he said.