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ProSense

(116,464 posts)
Sat Dec 17, 2011, 04:14 PM Dec 2011

Congressional Republicans Fight Minimum Wage Protections For Exploited Health Care Workers

Congressional Republicans Fight Minimum Wage Protections For Exploited Health Care Workers]

By Marie Diamond

Yesterday President Obama introduced a rule that would finally extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to two million workers who provide home-based care to the elderly and people with disabilities. For 37 years a loophole that puts home health care workers in the same “companion” category as babysitters has prevented those workers from receiving these key labor rights.

The administration’s action rectifies a longstanding injustice by simply ensuring home care workers are covered by the same protections other workers get under the Fair Labor Standards Act. But Congressional Republicans and their corporate allies are speaking out against the move:

Republican lawmakers and business groups criticized the proposed rules, which might be modified after a 60-day public comment period. Industry officials said the proposals would push up costs and might cause home care agencies to reduce the hours of aides who work more than 40 hours a week and instead hire more aides.

“The president’s goal is commendable, but the likely result of this new rule is reduced hours for home care workers and higher costs for taxpayers,” said John Kline, a Minnesota Republican who is chairman of the House Education and the Work Force Committee, and Tim Walberg, a Minnesota Republican who heads the panel’s subcommittee on work force protections

Predictably, Republicans and businesses that are reluctant to part with their profits have resorted to fearmongering, claiming that adequately compensating home care workers will increase costs for taxpayers and the elderly. But Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said any increased costs would be modest.

More importantly, these workers provide an indispensable service for a growing number of Americans and deserve fair pay. Six million Americans over 65 years old need some form of daily assistance to live outside a nursing home, and that number is expected to double by 2030 as Baby Boomers age.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/16/391239/congressional-republicans-fight-minimum-wage-protections-for-exploited-health-care-workers/

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Congressional Republicans Fight Minimum Wage Protections For Exploited Health Care Workers (Original Post) ProSense Dec 2011 OP
Which once again proves ... frazzled Dec 2011 #1
How about an acronym ProSense Dec 2011 #4
But they will fight to save tax cuts for the rich liberal N proud Dec 2011 #2
Republicans are morally bankrupt. n/t ProSense Dec 2011 #3
Rich & Poor we are all PEOPLE dana stevens Dec 2011 #5
Republicans ProSense Dec 2011 #6
Is that why they keep cutting benifits for the poor while continuing to give breaks to the rich? liberal N proud Dec 2011 #7
Interesting the take of the MN legislator - as far as I know MN is already paying more than minimum jwirr Dec 2011 #8
Post removed Post removed Dec 2011 #9
MIRT ALERT! MIRT ALERT! nt Vanje Dec 2011 #10
Your own "commitment to truth" seems no stronger than that of those people you complain about. surrealAmerican Dec 2011 #11
Your link goes to a site run by the American Enterprise Institute. Dewey Finn Dec 2011 #12

frazzled

(18,402 posts)
1. Which once again proves ...
Sat Dec 17, 2011, 04:19 PM
Dec 2011

that there is absolutely no difference between Republicans and Democrats, and that our president is a total sellout to corporate interests and doesn't care about working people.

(Too lazy to go look for an appropriate sarcasm smiley).

 

dana stevens

(17 posts)
5. Rich & Poor we are all PEOPLE
Sun Dec 18, 2011, 12:06 AM
Dec 2011

They fight for tax cuts...PERIOD. It happens to benefit both the rich and the poor.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
6. Republicans
Sun Dec 18, 2011, 12:38 AM
Dec 2011

"Rich & Poor we are all PEOPLE They fight for tax cuts...PERIOD. It happens to benefit both the rich and the poor."

...fight for tax cuts to benefit the rich. Try facts:

First, President Obama’s tax cuts are much more targeted at the middle class. The Bush tax cuts were heavily skewed toward the wealthy with more than half of the entire benefit going only to the richest 20 percent. President Obama’s tax cuts, on the other hand, are distributed more evenly. Eighty-five percent of the benefits of the Making Work Pay tax credit, for example, went to the bottom 80 percent of households, and because the very wealthy don’t pay payroll taxes on all of their income, the payroll tax cut, too, benefits the middle class much more than the Bush tax cuts did.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/09/obama_bush_taxes.html


Romney’s Economic Plan Includes $6.6 Trillion Tax Cut For The Rich And Corporations
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/09/07/313068/romneys-tax-plan-cost-6-6-trillion/

Gingrich's tax plan: Big cuts, big deficits
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2011/1213/Gingrich-s-tax-plan-Big-cuts-big-deficits

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
8. Interesting the take of the MN legislator - as far as I know MN is already paying more than minimum
Sun Dec 18, 2011, 12:09 PM
Dec 2011

wage to health care workers working in the homes. I worked as a care provider and was only paid $2 a day but all I was doing was riding the elevator in my building down one floor, open the door and lay the days pills on the counter of one of the other residents. Did not even see her.

When I worked as a homemaker - cooking or cleaning for seniors in their homes I always earned over m-wage.

Response to ProSense (Original post)

surrealAmerican

(11,340 posts)
11. Your own "commitment to truth" seems no stronger than that of those people you complain about.
Sun Dec 18, 2011, 07:03 PM
Dec 2011

Federal income tax is not the only tax. It is misleading to imply that people who don't earn enough to pay federal income tax are not paying other taxes. That's just not true.

 

Dewey Finn

(176 posts)
12. Your link goes to a site run by the American Enterprise Institute.
Sun Dec 18, 2011, 07:06 PM
Dec 2011

So it's apparent that "truth" is not your strong suit.

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