Democrats Ready to Push for Minimum Wage Increase
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are readying a maximum effort to raise the minimum wage. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said Thursday that increasing the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 would be his top priority as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. On the House side, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., already has listed an increase in the minimum wage as one of the issues that would be taken up during the first 100 hours of thenext Congress."Americans are working harder than ever, but millions of hardworking men and women across the country aren't getting their fair share," Kennedy said during a speech outlining his legislative agenda for next year. "We're not rewarding work fairly anymore, and working families are falling behind."
I believe raising the minimum wage is a necessity long overdue in this nation where the rich get richer and the poor well, they get forgotten. Here’s what Candace Corner at CareerBuilder.com had to say about it:
With the costs for gas, energy and seemingly everything else at an uncomfortable high, the only national figures that don't seem to be getting any fatter are the ones on the paychecks.
The minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour for over nine years, making it the second-longest freeze in wage growth since the establishment of the U.S. minimum wage in 1938. The cost of living has risen 26 percent, but the minimum rate of compensation hasn't seen a value this low since 1955, and Senate recently rejected a proposal that would have raised the rate to $7.25 by 2008.
So who's making the minimum? According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), 11 percent of the workforce, an estimated 14.9 million workers, would receive a boost in their hourly compensation if the rate hike proposal had passed. About 6.6 million workers earning less than $7.25 would have been directly effected by the increase. But the pay increase isn't limited to those earning exactly $5.15 an hour. More than 8 million workers earning a bit more than the minimum rate would see an increase as employers made adjustments to keep the payroll in check.
posted by Leo at 10:56 PM
9 Comments:
Right on on the the minimum wage, idiots like Limbaugh have came out about the wage and touting it would hurt small business, but in reality, a study was done and in the states that have raised their minimum wage small business has faired better than states who didn't.
Maybe now that we have most of, or a lot of, the fascists out of Congress the middle-class and low-income can get a break, the ones who were in office have done nothing in the last years but oppress the average American and deteriorate our freedoms.
I couldn't have said it better myself Floyd. Here's hoping the 'underdogs' in America can get a break for a change. Thanks for the comment.
I will be fan of yours and your blog from this minute on. Good writing, intelligent commentary and a sense of humor. Almost makes me think I'm speaking of myself. I will keep reading.
I agree on the minimum wage thing. Actually it should go to $8.35 and be tied to inflation for future increases. Fair day's work for a fair day's pay!
Well Gary thanks so much! I'm flattered. Thanks for stopping by and please do come back. Small business, it's good to hear from someone on this issue who has that moniker, as the Republicans like to tell us that it's people like you who would be crushed if the min. wage was raised. Thanks for the comment.
I think the minimum wage should be at least $20 an hour. That would help the economy even more, wouldn't it?
I sense some sarcasm Brian and as much as I respect your superior "tapir" (see last posts comments) knowledge-lol, I can't very well respond to an exaggerated non-argument, so I'll leave it at that. Thanks for your comment.
leo - A contract, employment is a contractual agreement, works if both sides gain. When a contract is one-sided it will always end up in a breach.
Regarding your friend Brian423, there are sufficient reasons to support that minimum wage should be significantly higher and would benefit the entire economy. It would eliminate most companies producing the low quality/low price stuff, that would then allow the expansion of small business to fill the void of the Walmarts and Targets who have crushed small business, and move our production and distribution system from a Global Centralized system to a Producer to consumer model. The problem with that model is that there is no room for the Financial players in that game.
Small business, to be frank I'm no economist, so I'll have to take your word for it, but I will say this whether it's good for the economy or not paying people a decent wage is simply the right and moral thing to do, especially when you're one of the richest countries in the world. Thanks for the comment and the info.
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