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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsActivists seek increase in federal minimum wage
WASHINGTON In an election year dominated by socioeconomic themes, it seems logical that raising the federal minimum wage would become a heated campaign issue in the battle for the presidency. Stagnating wages and the increasing concentration of wealth among the nations highest earners have prompted calls to boost the purchasing power of American workers. At $7.25 an hour, a full-time federal minimum-wage earner makes about $15,080 a year, which is below the federal poverty level for a two-person family.
But neither President Barack Obama nor Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said much about the minimum wage, though Obama once called for raising it to $9.50 an hour by the end of 2011 and Romney supported indexing it for inflation earlier this year until conservatives cried foul.
In the absence of a prominent push to boost the federal minimum wage, states and local governments have picked up the slack: Eighteen states and the District of Columbia now have minimum wage rates that are higher than the federal level.
In January, eight of those states Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and Vermont raised their hourly minimum wages by 28 to 37 cents. Last month, Rhode Island bumped its minimum wage from $7.40 an hour to $7.75, to take effect next year.
More at . . .
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/23/157303/activists-seek-increase-in-federal.html
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Activists seek increase in federal minimum wage (Original Post)
TomClash
Jul 2012
OP
I'm torn between promoting the solution I've found, and possibly ruining it, and just continuing
Egalitarian Thug
Jul 2012
#7
gopiscrap
(23,766 posts)1. Yes to keep pace over the past generation
the minimum wage should be $23.00
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)2. Good information.
Waded thru about 100 gun control posts to find it. I knew there would be something worthwhile if I kept digging.
That's both funny and true.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)4. K&R Popular idea with broad based support that would be of real help,
no wonder nobody's talking about it.
TomClash
(11,344 posts)6. Our Lords and Masters don't approve
All the News Not Fit to Print.
Now get back to work, wage slave.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)7. I'm torn between promoting the solution I've found, and possibly ruining it, and just continuing
to do my thing and let the rest hang.
4th law of robotics
(6,801 posts)5. We really need to start bumping it up a little bit every month
until it is roughly 50% higher. 22,000 per year is a more reasonable wage.