Senate GOP Blocks Minimum Wage Hike

[kskiska]

Senate Democrats yesterday launched a new drive to raise the minimum wage but ran into a roadblock from Republicans, who sidetracked a major foreign operations bill so it could not be used as a vehicle for votes on the wage proposal and other Democratic initiatives.

Democrats argued that a minimum wage increase, last approved by Congress seven years ago, is long overdue and complained that Republicans were refusing to allow the Senate even to consider the issue.

Republican senators contended Democrats were trying improperly to piggyback their own domestic agenda onto an important and broadly supported bill authorizing diplomatic and foreign assistance operations.

The Democrats' proposal would raise the hourly wage floor from $5.15 to $6.65 in two annual steps: by 75 cents immediately after the bill is signed into law and by another 75 cents a year later.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45193-2003Jul11.html

[bluestateguy]

1. The less than minimum wage

This is what I always like about conservatives: when the economy is a great shape, they say we can't raise the minimum wage because it might choke off the economic recovery; when the economy is in bad shape, they say we cannot raise the minimum wage because it will worsen the recession.

The minimum wage has not been raised since 1996, which means that minimum wage workers have been getting a pay cut every year for the last 7 years.

The smart thing to do is to permanently index the minimum wage to the annual rate of inflation. It is wrong for working people to have to wait around for the politicians to raise it whenever they feel like it.

[saigon68]

3. TOILET CLEANERS AND HOTEL MAIDS

How dare they demand an increase. The market is doing poor lately the children will not be able to have a new Polo Pony. </Sarcasm>

[I AM SPARTACUS]

8. cue Lee Greenwood "Proud To Be An American" now...

[Elidor]

4. A minimum wage COLA sounds intriguing

But what would happen in a period of runaway inflation, like during Ford's administration? I suspect it could cause problems. Still, it's an idea. Something has to be done to protect the lower class from the rapacious vultures in power now. I wish the Living Wage movement could go national instead of just picking up a city here and a city there.

[sandnsea]

9. Here's my question

We just passed this law in Oregon and they're already trying to do away with the COLA part. And there's no inflation. Anyways...

I understand that it would be pretty wild for wages and inflation to just keep going up up up; but I don't think wages have ever really recovered from those inflationary times. Besides the fact that minimum wage hasn't gone up, the amount they're recommending still isn't at the same level as before the 70's inflation. So how can that problem be solved while also not creating a wage/inflation cycle?

[soupkitchen]

2. "off with their heads, off with their heads"

Again: Those who sharpen class distinctions only sharpen the guillotine.

[Elidor]

5. You say you wanna rev-o-loo-shun, we-ell you know

hehehe. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite! Who shall be our Robespierre?

I pray it never comes to that.

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

[soupkitchen]

6. Well then let's not get fooled again n/t

*

[Booger]

7. piggyback

I'm not up on this particular issue. Is it the min. wage being added to a foreign assistance bill?
I don't wanna sign up to read the article BTW. That's why I'm asking.

[w4rma]

11. Here you go.

The impasse cast a cloud over prospects for legislation that Democrats had targeted with their proposals: a bill to authorize $24 billion over the next year for State Department operations, foreign aid and international programs and President Bush's Millennium Challenge Account to help countries committed to democratic reforms.

The Senate has not passed a foreign aid authorization bill since 1985 and has sometimes not gotten around to reauthorizing State Department programs, relying instead on year-by-year spending bills. Both Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) had made passage of the combined measure a high priority for this year.

When Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) tried to offer his minimum wage proposal as an amendment to the bill yesterday morning, he found that the bill was no longer there. Apparently under pressure from a conservative colleague, whom Democrats identified as Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.), Frist put the bill aside and scheduled the 2004 defense spending bill as the next order of business for the Senate.

"Until we can work this out, we won't bring it back up," said Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson.

But Kennedy and other Democrats vowed to keep pressing for the minimum wage increase and other Democratic initiatives, including legislation to strengthen federal hate crimes laws, until they prevail, although suitable vehicles are scarce. Kennedy has used such tactics in the past to force a vote on minimum wage proposals.

[NewJerseyDem]

15. State Department Reauthorization?

It does seem somewhat inappropriate for a minimum wage increase to be part of a state department reauthorization bill. I don't know why they can't find a more appropriate bill. Also, would a Bush veto perhaps be necessary if this actually passed. It probably won't pass so we won't find out, but there have been a lot of veto threats from the White House over the past weeks and I would like to see him use it at least once in his term.

[number9]

10. A thought about the lack of effect of raising the minimum wage

when the minimum goes up, those who make more feel they're salaries are worth less, so in a short time theirs go up. Prices generally go up due to more money being available (and greed).

Where's the long-term benefit?

[Ouabache]

12. Well you see its like this...

If the minimum wage is raised then it will push the salaries of those just above the minimum UP also. Now here is the problem - if that tier of salaries just above the minimum wage goes up over 23,000 or so, those people will no longer qualify for overtime pay under the new wage proposals for overtime pay from the Bush Labor Department.
And we really wouldn't want those people to suddenly have time off instead of overtime pay, would we? They might actually have time to see how Shrubco is screwing them and they might actually use the time off to make sure he hits the street on his ass in the next election.
(this is supposed to be from Shrubco point of view)

[sandnsea]

13. Our minimum wage is $6.90

Raised to that 6 months ago. I haven't noticed any increase in prices and don't notice a huge difference between here and other places. In fact, alot of burger joints and retail shops are paying $7.50 around here. Other things can affect prices including property prices, state and local taxes, stockholder's dividends, gas and shipping, etc. Wages other than minimum are much more affected by the need for particular skills than someone just wanting more money. Although it does help boost other manual labor wages that ought to be higher anyway. In addition, I think eventually a living wage would reduce the use of federal programs which should reduce taxes. The employer ought to pay the worker, not the taxpayer.

And that's my case for a reasonable minimum wage.

[w4rma]

14. Here is what folks who live on minimum wage have to live on

In a speech to the Senate, Kennedy said that minimum wage employees working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, earn $10,700 a year, or $4,500 below the poverty line for a family of three. The value of the increase that Congress approved seven years ago has eroded to the point that their wages are worth less now than they were before the last increase, he added.