Senator Favor Pay Increases For Themselves, Not Others

[Itsthetruth]

SENATORS STEP ON WORKERS
by Jim Hightower
3/25/2005

Today, I've got a whole gaggle of Goobers for you – each of them a U.S. Senator! These are the 49 Solons who recently voted to kill an increase in America's minimum wage, which has been stuck at $5.15 an hour since 1996. That comes out to about $10,500 a year for full time work! Try making ends meet on that, as millions of Americans now have to do.

"No," shouted the 49 senators, all Republicans. One of these Gooberheads, Mike Enzi, even tried imposing his right-wing standard of ideological correctness on this issue: "Wages do not cause sales," he intoned. "Sales are needed to provide wages. Wages do not cause revenue. Revenue drives wages." How impressive. How wrong.

First, what does Enzi think people use to make purchases? Wages, of course. Raise wages of working families and – guess what? – sales go up in local businesses. Second, maybe Enzi has been out of touch with the non-ideological world, but revenues of corporate employers have been going up for years – so why haven't wages?

To be fair though, the senators aren't entirely against wage increases. For example, they've raised their own pay every year for the last five years.

http://www.jimhightower.com/air/read.asp?id=11633

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Yeah. perhaps we shouldn't trust politicians with our retirement money, considering their general selfishness. Ya think?

 

[Itsthetruth]

How about posting something interesting from a mainstream newssource for a change?

I think that sight show perhaps a slight bias!

That might be rather difficult. It's almost impossible to find a "mainstream news source" that doesn't have a conservative bias but I will search. You have of course the White House TV network, FoxNews, and a gaggle of TV networks and daily newspapers that are not a whole lot better.

For example .... can you think of a single "mainstream" news source that has called for the withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq or that has even sharply questioned the continued occupation of Iraq?

 

[rtwngAvngr]

That might be rather difficult. It's almost impossible to find a "mainstream news source" that doesn't have a conservative bias but I will search. You have of course the White House TV network, FoxNews, and a gaggle of TV networks and daily newspapers that are not a whole lot better.

For example .... can you think of a single "mainstream" news source that has called for the withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq or that has even sharply questioned the continued occupation of Iraq?

The withdrawal from Iraq is a kook position, that's why. Considering the general success of the mission and the resultant proliferation of democracy in the mideast, only a kook would advocate withdrawing. Didn't they tell you in jr. high that the withdrawal method is ineffective and still carries the possibility of disease?

 

[Said1]

Bleh, there goes my ice cream!

 

[no1tovote4]

I have a serious question. Other than those that live in areas where the cost of living is low to begin with, does anybody know even one person that actually makes minimum wage?

In our area starting wages are much higher than minimum, and I could not point to even one kid in HS that makes actual minimum wage, let alone anybody "making a living" on such a wage. When they raise the minimum wage it is almost always below the starting wages in my area and nothing happens at all.

 

[Itsthetruth]

Didn't they tell you in jr. high that the withdrawal method is ineffective and still carries the possibility of disease?

Does that mean our soldiers should like getting screwed by insurgents in Iraq and the Bush government at home?

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Does that mean our soldiers should like getting screwed by insurgents in Iraq and the Bush government at home?

That's all you could come up with? You should have stayed in bed today.

 

[Itsthetruth]

The withdrawal from Iraq is a kook position, only a kook would advocate withdrawing.

Perhaps you ought to take a poll of U.S. troops in Iraq and their loved ones back home. I don't think very many would think bringing our soldiers home is a "nutty" idea that they would oppose.

But, that's OK. You just go on believing that .... along with other right-wing nonsense.

Put your tin-foil hats on! Drink the corporate/government kool-aid!

 

[5stringJeff]

ITT, to answer your original post, there are several GOP representatives and Senators who vote against the auto-pay raises each year. And there are many conservatives who complain about it each year. So you are (for once) in good company!

As far as the minimum wage goes, I have to agree with no1tovote4. The minimum wage is a starting wage for unskilled workers. People don't stay at the minimum wage; they gain skills, get better paying jobs, and raise their standard of living.

Moreover, increasing the minimum wage decreases the number of jobs available. So, by increasing the minimum wage, more low-wage earners would be thrown out on the street. Is that really what you want for America's poor?

 

[Merlin1047]

Moreover, increasing the minimum wage decreases the number of jobs available. So, by increasing the minimum wage, more low-wage earners would be thrown out on the street. Is that really what you want for America's poor?

That's the left's catch 22. It's a win-win situation for libs. If Congress does not increase the minimum wage, libs can rail against them for being inhumane, callous and in the pockets of big business.

On the other hand, if Congress raises the minimum wage as high as libs want, then leftists will be able to bitch about rising unemployment and outsourcing. Either way they'll have an "issue".

 

[insein]

That's the left's catch 22. It's a win-win situation for libs. If Congress does not increase the minimum wage, libs can rail against them for being inhumane, callous and in the pockets of big business.

On the other hand, if Congress raises the minimum wage as high as libs want, then leftists will be able to bitch about rising unemployment and outsourcing. Either way they'll have an "issue".

Ding ding.

Increasing minimum wage does not increase amount earned. Say an employer has an alotted amount to pay 10 employees $6/hr. If the minimum wage is raised to $7.50, then that employer can only afford to pay for 8 people now. 2 people just lost their jobs. They went from making $13000 a year to making $0 a year. Now they have to go find another job they may also be laying people off because they too can only afford to pay for a certain number of employees.

Raising the min wage is not the answer. Reducing restrictions on small businesses and creating a better "business" environment allows businesses to grow and then creates jobs. If businesses are stifled by higher mandatory wages, then they cant grow.

 

[MtnBiker]

From the linked article:

It's a moral outrage that in the richest country in the history of the world, people working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year are rewarded with poverty paychecks. This is why Democratic senators offered an increase to $7.25 an hour. That's about $15,000 a year – hardly the Life of Reilly, but better.

If $7.25 is a suggested wage for minimum pay why keep fooling around and just make the working wage $25.00 an hour?

 

[MtnBiker]

BTW any journalist that refers to freely elected Senators as "Goobers" discounts any creditability that may exsists for that journalist.

 

[pegwinn]

Minimum Wage is too low.
Can't raise it because then we lose jobs.
Congress votes themselves pay raises and votes on their own entitlements....I am sooooo surprized

 

[SmarterThanYou]

BTW any journalist that refers to freely elected Senators as "Goobers" discounts any creditability that may exsists for that journalist.

Please, kerry and kennedy......goobers or not? :teeth:

 

[Avatar4321]

Congress votes themselves pay raises and votes on their own entitlements....I am sooooo surprized

Me too. I mean wouldnt you vote for a raise if you had the power to? I sure would. I don't know that anyone wouldn't. We really need to take that power for them. I think we should make a constitutional amendment that they can't vote themselves raises without public approval.

As for minimum wage. Congress should stay out of private employment contracting.

 

[MtnBiker]

Please, kerry and kennedy......goobers or not? :teeth:

True, it is funny. Just goes to show the author can not be taken seriously or the point he is trying to make.