House Republican leaders played a cheap political trick over the weekend when they tacked a proposed minimum wage increase, from $5.15 to $7.25, onto a bill of inheritance and other tax breaks for the rich.
The gambit allows moderate Republicans up for election to point out that they voted for a minimum-wage hike — denying Democrats a potent economic issue. Meanwhile, the bill has no chance of passing in the Senate.
An estimated 15 million American workers would benefit from the boost in the minimum wage, which, because of inflation, is at its lowest level of buying power since 1955, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Meanwhile, in the last decade, lawmakers have approved cost-of-living wage hikes for themselves of about $35,000.
Working Americans aren’t getting a fair shake.
Who are minimum-wage workers? Would boosting wages hurt businesses, as critics often claim? What’s the difference between a minimum wage and a living wage? Check out this good link for a helpful overview of the issue.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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53 Comments
I find it ironic that these same politicians playing with the minimum wage issue were the same ones that voted themselves a big fat raise just a short while ago.
CR- I’m sorry- you must not be aware of their practice of the fine art of slithering!
Where is Paul to defend these sleaze-ball extortionists?
Appear, Oh MASTER OF SPIN !!
CR- As a matter of fact, I’m told most are so slither proficient, that they are in danger of losing the use of their real legs!
Randy,The link to the EPI is excellent and refutes all of the zero-sum arguments the right-wingers trot out each time this subject is raised. Thank you.
BTW, they no longer have to vote to get a raise. That’s right, they made their own raises permanent AND automatic. Now they only way they can NOT get a raise is to bring it to a vote. You really think they’ll vote for no raise?They got it fixed so that we don’t hear about votes for raises.How conveinent!
Hey guyssss, we didn’t accomplish diddly, let’s not get raisessss.(slither slither)
Tanker Todd doesn’t go through a closed door, he goes uner it!
Yep, the repuke way: Promise the lowest class pay raises IF the filthy rich get another tax break. You total f***ing morons, whom Paul the usurper, master of spin, says should be held with the highest regard due to the sacrifices you make for your country, should all have your pensions clipped, your pay cut to $5.50 an hour, all your perks halted, and voted out of office as well.
You have prostituted yourselves so much to the rich and big business, you don’t have the right to call yourselves Americans. The real Americans are over in Iraq fighting and dying in a bogus war while you total f***ing morons are fat-catting it with some dirtbag at some exclusive country club. You all should be brought up on treason charges sent and to the front lines with an M-16 and 30 rounds of ammo. No body armor; you don’t deserve it.
Other great bills to attach a minimum hike to: Resolution Bill to commend God for the existence of cancer, Bill to have all kittens killed immediately with street rollers or mandate to have the color of the sky changed to yellow.
Bill Clinton took the money earmarked for helping raise the minimum wage and gave it to Ken Lay to buy Saddam’s WMDs.
Unfortunately, the poor sap RINO republicans will buy into the argument that their party tried to raise the minimum wage. I kind of feel sorry for all those wantabe republicans in Kansasland.
Paul,You are one of the total f***ing morons, one of the 25% who give congress a good approval rating. Please feel free to join congress on the front lines in Iraq, sans M-16 and body armor.
I’d like to know what the article means by “rich”.
The Rich are the 7500 american families that would benefit the most from the estate tax repeal. The poor are those hundreds of thousnads working two jobs trying to get by.
Pardon me if I don’t just take your word for it, steve.
Since it is the rich that pay wages and create jobs, give them a tax break so they can pay their employees more. Makes sense!
What a strange world you live in Joe!
What the GOP did here is despicable.
They get to say they voted for the minimum wage. But they did it in a way so that it can never pass.
This is conservatives. This is what they really are. Here is a slightly larger crumb poor folks! Oh but wait now! You only GET the crumb if you agree to let the fat folks keep their all you can eat buffet AND take the leftovers home in a doggy bag!
How…..HOW do Republicans get any but the wealthiest peoples votes??
Somebody get a link up about how few people the estate tax actually applies to. I know it isn’t many. GOP “death tax” nonsense aside.
.3% of Americans would be beneficiaries of the estate tax repeal. Not sure what the % would be for minimum wage increase.
oops forgot the link: http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views06/0511-22.htm
Thanks steve.
So what we have here is the interests of a few thousand people so wealthy they scarcely need to ever worry about…….anything tied to a meager increase in the pittace that millions must try to exist on.
That is the GOP, the Republican party for ya folks. Get the greedy obscenely rich even richer. You and me? Well we can beg crumbs from the table of the masters!
I know only too well about the Republicans and their slithering ways. Why do you think they always wrap everything up in the American Flag and wave a Bible? That’s their way to make their agenda seem good.
Their shell game with the minimum wage was just more of the same from rich, elite, white, republican men.
They have destroyed this country with their hate and their greed.
They are really horrible people, and how dare they get all moral around election time talking god, patriotism, and compassion.
Poor repubs. they think if they want what the Walton family wants, that makes them like the Waltons. And, we’re not talking about JimBob.
Size ofFamily Unit 48 ContiguousStates and D.C. Alaska Hawaii1 $ 9,570 $11,950 $11,0102 12,830 16,030 14,7603 16,090 20,110 18,5104 19,350 24,190 22,2605 22,610 28,270 26,0106 25,870 32,350 29,7607 29,130 36,430 33,5108 32,390 40,510 37,260For each additionalperson, add 3,260 4,080 3,750SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 33, February 18, 2005, pp. 8373-8375.http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/05poverty.shtml
5.15×2020=10403 full time worker.19350 poverty level for family of 4 in the lower 48 states at 2005 levels.
Remember! The poverty level in American still means a home, car, cell phone, cable television, refridrator, 3 meals a day, and running hot water.
We are blessed that poverty in America means that you can’t eat at Applebees everyday or drive a Hummer.
WHAT DO THEY WANT? WE GIVE THEM BRIDGES TO SLeEP UNDER AND DON’T EVEN CHARGE THEM FOR IT!
Come on Joe, maybe in Bugtussle, Mississippi on min. wage, some might scrape by if they live with Mom. In her paid off house sucking off her social security.Why do you wingers want to turn America into Calcutta, India?
“The poverty level in American still means a home, car, cell phone, cable television, refridrator, 3 meals a day, and running hot water.”
Joe, you are a good researcher. Look up the $ amounts for official poverty lines. No family could afford those things under the federal poverty guideline.
It takes me, a single person, a couple of thousand a month to have all the things you list above.
It must be the taxes on the damned three meals a day…
…heheh or an evil union dope smoking conspiracy of thousands….
Yeah kfg,
Joe?
From your earlier posts,you hate farmers, working people, unions, Christians, etc. I guess you hate poor people too!
What items on that list you gave would you like to deprive them of before you afford them some consideration?
I DO congratulate and thank you for being honest. You portray conservatism very well.
I bet Joe works in a union plant, drawing union wages, and gets to enjoy bad mouthing the union all day, for free!
Joe,What your view of poverty doesn’t include is health care, prenatal care for expectant mothers, day care for the single parents who have to work to support their children to the best of their ability . . . want me to go on, or do you get the picture?
Nobody is starving in American, unless your parents are making you.
How many of you guys are in poverty or know anybody that is? You guys bash the rich, and say you care about the poor, but you aren’t poor yourself and what have you done?
I suggest you volunteer down at the Lords Diner one day. Let me know how your attitude changes about people in poverty. You’ll be surprise how many people that come in have cell phones clipped to their belt.
I’m sorry! But you show me the Calcutta poor in America, or you show me a family that lives only on minimum wage and I’ll show you ocean front property in Kansas.
Yes! There are poor people in America, but nothing compared to the worlds poor. I’ve been in third world countries, and trust me, backwoods Appalachian Mountains or deep rural Mississippi doesn’t even compare. You show me somebody that lives in a straw mud hut and living off of only two eggs a day in America.
You show me that the annual income for most people is $400 at most, when in the USA $19,000 for one person is consider poverty.
If you said people are poor, then that’s different, but the United States has won it’s war on poverty. The economic reality of poor people is much different than poverty.
The true diffinition of poverty is: Poverty is an economic condition of lacking both money and basic necessities needed to successfully live such as food, water, education, and shelter.
In America, unless you are on the streets due to mental or physical handicapp or drug abuse, the reality for the “poor” in America is that they have water, shelter, food, and free education.
I can’t stand how Democrats and leftist use this. You guys are just as bad or worse than Republicans.
And JR! I don’t hate anybody. I’m a better person that that and you. You are the one that claims hate towards people.
I’m a person that would help you out if you had a flat tire. I would be the stranger to give you money if you need it.
You’re the type of person that would run me over in a car because I’m not a leftist.
Post on Joe! I say good on you for showing us what conservatives really are.
All except that last.
Joe? My son and I helped a young soldier push his stalled car up a driveway and out of traffic the other day. Now I honestly cannot say I’d have done that if his car had had bush stickers all over it. Maybe not.
But at least 3 cars with “support the troops” magnets on them roared by me, my son, and that young soldier.
Joe,
Would it make you happier if our poor were the same as those in Calcutta?
Is the overall economic situation the same in India as in the U.S.? Aren’t you kind of comparing apples and oranges? Isn’t the U.S. supposed to be one of the richest nations in the world? And if that’s true, why are there people in the U.S. who go hungry? Who have no health care? Who have no home?
I’m not comparing Apples and Oranges. I’m comparing the truth about what “poverty” is in America.
I’m not comparing Calcutta to the USA, Democrats are. I’m explain to you that there is a huge disparity, but you guys make it out like there isn’t one.
Health Care is a relative new thing in our society. There are plenty of clinics that help our poor in all forms of health care. You can get health care no matter what in America. Nobody does without.
Everybody that wants shelter has it. Again! If you don’t have a mental disorder and been cast out by your democrat supporting family or abusing drugs, everybody has a roof over there head. There are plenty of organizations that shelter and feed the homeless. There are countless organization to help the homeless and drug addicts to get back on their feet and live a stable life.
Nobody goes hungry in America, unless your parents are starving you, such as the Democrat family that recently got busted starving their children. We have breakfast and lunch programs to help feed the children at school. We have plenty of resources.
The reason why we have all this, is because we are a rich nation, thanks to capitalism and are checks and balanced government.
JR! I’m sorry dude! But I don’t believe you. You lie quite often, so I’m calling “BS” on your story. And your hate permiates through.
Talk about “Bush” bumber stickers and won’t help them out. I’ll tell you a true story. And of course this isn’t relevant, just as my last post saying “democrat” this and that…It’s to make a point that political parties doesn’t matter, but you make it matter.
This was about two months ago, but I was driving East bound Kellogg. It was about 5:30pm, and the light at Armour was red and traffic was back up a ways. Something caught my attention and it was the car next to me on the turning lane. I saw a ragged out car and in the passenger seat was a man smoking a cigeratte with a child on his lap. No seat belt, but he had the window half way rolled down. I was about to roll down my window and yell at him just as the green arrow light came on and they sped away.
I was seriously thinking about calling the cops on this car so I tried to see if I could memorize the licence plate as it drove off. One thing caught my attention. Yes! They had a “Kerry/Edwards” bumber sticker. I only caught the first two of the licence plate number.
Does it matter they have that bumber sticker? No! They could have had a “bush” bumber sticker and I would still have try have done what I done.
But your hateful bias JR shows so much that you have no credibility.
Somebody pee in your post toasties this morning Joe?
You went after Ed on another thread and now you wanna come after me?
Ok!
I like a good smackdown! And in a battle of wits, you are quite poorly armed!
Before I go on. Let’s just get THIS out there.
Joe? I think you are a good hearted guy. You post smiley faces and haveanice days.
But Joe? Have you heard the bells that ring? Fact is Joe, pretty much the whole blog regards you as a mostly harmless, strangely opined, blithering idiot. From your rants on farmers through your rants on unions to your rants on Christians, you are a veritable FONT of ………something. I won’t call it BS even. What flows from you is not commonly known. It is unique to you.
“JR! I’m sorry dude!
Yes Joe, you are.
“But I don’t believe you”
I’m gonna file that under “who gives a damn?”
“You lie quite often though….”
I do? For me that is a pretty serious charge.But since it comes from you, I lend it the weight I do all your posts. That being not very much! Catch me in one. Go do a bonedig. Provide a link. Show some proof. I don’t think I’ve ever called YOU a liar. Just a kook.And that little story you tell? Exactly what sort of hero does it make you? I mean even if I did believe it, it’s just vintage ol’ judgemental Joe.
Had enough? Or are ya thirsty for more?
Don’t worry JR. It just seems all you do is attack. Any substance?
Just admit that I’m right and you’re wrong.
Sure! I question the farm subsidy program. Sure! I question christian churches that violate campaign laws. Sure! I question the importance of Unions in today’s marketplace. What’s wrong with that?
I guess my intellect surpasses you’re thinking. Be critical!
Forgot! You’re still blaming the Republicans and Bush that you’re unemployeed.
What’s funny JR! Even your band of buddies, who you think is on your side would disagree with you.
People might disagree with my opinions, but they don’t think I’m an idiot. Only you do! Because all you want to do is degrade and call names. You’re alone on this one.
Any more hate you still need to dish out? You going to take a sledge hammer to cars that have “Bush” bumber stickers? You still wishing for Nathan and Hank Price and Bush to die?
You’re a little out of place. I have strong opinions, but I’m not fringe like you are. If you’re calling for help, let me know. There is enough of us on here tht care to intervine to help you if you have problems. The important thing is not to deny it, but to admit it.
You gonna melt down for all to see like I made ya do before Joe?
Before I go on, I’m gonna guess I get back up before you do.
Joe?
I could be wrong. It’s early.
I don’t remember using the word hate in this arguement.
Oh wait I said you hate farmers, unions, Christians and poor people.
And YOUR posts pretty much back that up!
JOE?
Where did I EVER wish for ANYONE to DIE?
I feel like a junkyard dog up against a puppy!
I’ll just sit quietly and answer your charges Joe.
Show where I have lied.
Show where I have wished for anyone to die.
Mr. Scholfield’s link to EPI will certainly give you a left of center analysis of the issue. In the interest of balance, here are two links – one a summary and the other more sources than you would want to read. Minimum wage is no doubt one of modern politics’ greatest boondoggles.
http://www.hoover.org/pubaffairs/dailyreport/archive/2865876.html
http://www.house.gov/jec/cost-gov/regs/minimum/50years.htm
Any minimum wage would be moot as long as million of thirdworlders will work for $3-4hr. Off the books. Dems and their supporters who are in favor of massive thirdworld immigration should shut their mouths about “quality of life” and a living wage, freaking hypocrits!!!
viva la raza blanco!!!
Ian you’re a fucking immigrant.You shut the fuck up asshole.
Wow. Tracy knows some dirty words, that’s for sure.
Tracy,
I was born and rasied in suburban Boston. How am I an immigrant? You are just angry because I express my racial pride whereas you have NONE! Were I a coal black, aids infested, raping, illegal immigrant from haiti with an IQ of 67, you would welcome me with open arms. You and your ilk are mentally ill and the truth is repellent to you!
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!
Ian
You ignorant slut: not everyone, thank God, thinks like you do. There are people in this country who truly are color blind. What they see are human beings, and they take pride in being a human being. They find racist people to be of a lower class, with IQ’s ranging from just below freezing to absolute zero.
Racist people generally come from dirt. They are excessively jealous of anyone smarter, richer and/or more educated than they are. Their self worth is limited to moon pies on Saturday night with a few snake worshipers. Their family tree is a mixture of every race known to man, and they are totally pissed off at not belonging to any one group, so they hate everybody, including themselves. They spread their brand of racism because they are too stupid to understand what it is to be an actual human being. Some of them even take to wearing bed sheets and burning crosses in the hope it will scare the color out of some people, forgetting Casper the friendly ghost took those same sheets and made a joke of the whole thing.
So, Ian, go marry a mixture of Mexican, Cuban, Russian, Viet Namese, Chinese, Hungarian and French . . . oh, wait . . . that’s your sister! Never mind.
JM,
Keep to your jerry spring stereotypes of White Nationalists, it will serve you in good stead, I am sure. I am neither poor, nor stupid and I don’t have one drop of non-White genetic admixture.
You and the other baby boomer may wish to see America turned into a giant, filthy wetback or negro slum but WE will not! You and your ilk have left us a huge mess to clean up but clean it up we will!!
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!!
“I am neither poor, nor stupid and I don’t have one drop of non-White genetic admixture.”
Hehehe, news flash, Ian: Eugenics died in the early 20th century.
The genes responsible for what are acknowledged as ‘racial traits’ make up a trivial portion of the genome.
By the way, I’m left-handed. I think I’ll become a Lefty Nationalist! You right-handers are free to live in peace, but do it somewhere else–this land is OURS! GET OUT!
Viva La Raza Izquierda!!