OK, I'm back. What fresh hell is the Am. worker being drug thru

[Skidmore]

in the Senate. I missed a whole bunch--had to go into town and then I had to move a skid of mulch from this side of the yard to that side of the yard. But, what the heck are the Rs trying to do to the work week. I just caught Gregg raking Hillary over the coals.

[joanski0]

1. They are debating Senator Kennedy's

amendment to increase the minimum wage. Kennedy's amendment proposed only a $1.10 increase over two years. Kennedy's amendment is two pages. Mike Enzi of Wyoming has come up with the Repuke version which is 87 pages. It also raises the minimum wage by $1.10 per hour, but there are all kinds of restrictions on it. NO OVERTIME, for one. The will be voting on Kennedy's amendment at 4:30 p.m. today.

[CrispyQ]

2. If these guys had to live on minimum wage

they would be wimpering & crying before the first day was done.

Holy crap, minimum wage is less than $12,000 a year!

[Skidmore]

3. They are also SALARIED and not working for hourly wages.

If they miss work to go to the soccer game, their income doesn't suffer.

[DS1]

6. Ain't that the truth

and around where I live, it's next to impossible to find any rent places for under 600 a month, 800 if you want to live in an apartment complex.

[joanski0]

4. Mike Enzi up now, defending his amendment.

Saying Dems don't listen or read. Read the amendment, he says!!

[joanski0]

5. Enzi says his amendment is good policy

for small business. No guarantee for small business owner. He sometimes makes less than the minimum wage earner!!

[Skidmore]

7. The Rs are wrong. This time off stuff will be abused just like it

is in the public sector. I've worked government jobs, and the employer quite often will find a reason to keep the workload at a level where it is difficult to get time off by virtue of the work needing to be done. If the employee doesn't get an agreement of the employer, then it doesn't happen. Also the employer doesn't pay overtime, since they are theoretically compensating with comp time. For a minimum wage person, this curtailment of overtime pay does not help in an economy out of control.

[Skidmore]

8. Enzii---American dream is to own a McDonalds, not earn a better

wage--a paraphrase of what he said. Owning a McDonalds is the American dream and an increase in wage doesn't get that. Working your way up at MickyDs--doesn't say how you can come by enough capital to do this.

[xxqqqzme]

9. for more & more Americans

the dream includes food, health care and shelter, they can't even begin 2 consider higher education - forget your elitest business, 2nd home & yacht.

I really, realy hate these rethug asswipes.

[joanski0]

10. Enzi said that there were plenty of jobs

in the Wyoming coal mines. He said work not too appropriate for women, but they could drive coal trucks.

Shocker -- both Specter and Santorum voted for Kennedy's amendment.

[joanski0]

11. The Senate is voting on Enzi's amendment

now. DeWine from Ohio also vote for Kennedy's amendment.

[joanski0]

12. Well, they defeated Enzi's amendment also.

Specter voted for it, too. My list of Repukes who voted against it:

Burr, Isakson, Vitter, Coburn, Sununu, Lott, Inhoff, Allard.