Posted on 09/05/2006 3:35:31 AM PDT by shrinkermd
WASHINGTON -- As Congress returns to work after Labor Day, Republicans face a burning question: whether to try again to pass a minimum-wage increase, or risk facing voters in November without having done so.
Some Republican lawmakers, particularly those facing tough re-election fights, want another chance to back an increase from the current $5.15 an hour, a move that would deprive Democrats of a major campaign talking point. "After 10 years, good grief, it's not like we're increasing it in a way that would cause unemployment," says Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican locked in a close race. "I think it should be passed under our watch."
But other Republicans hate the idea and are unlikely to support such a move or would do so only with big sweeteners for their business base. The House passed a minimum-wage increase in July, but the measure failed in the Senate because it was paired with a cut in the estate tax that Democrats opposed. Many legislators argue that vote should be enough, at least politically, to show voters they tried...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Giving it all up to the Democrats, of course, would be very foolish. They'd increase spending far above what anyone now can imagine while simultaneously negotiating the quickest possible surrender to AlQaida.
Just great! Now the .99 value menu at Wendys will be a buck ninety nine!
I fully agree, but it doesn't change my expectations.
This is a matter of freedom. Government never makes a situation better, only worse.
There are many other practical reasons not to raise the minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage hurts the very people they purport to help.
Do Republicans think the American people are too stupid to understand the truth? They may be right.
Raising the federal minimum wage to a higher level isn't going to affect much around here.
BTW, when you have a high functional minimum wage that means the employers are probably going to have to give up drug tests as well to get employees.
Also, the rest of your comment is simply esoteric theoretical musings in the face of a high functional minimum wage.
Absolutely. It's irrelevant to today's wages. That's no reason to go along with it. I would love to hear a Republican tell the truth about the minimum wage.
Yes,but , get the dems to give something for it.
There they go again, calling Shays a Republican.
Even the democrats know enough not to raise it to a point where it will actually impact the price of a hamburger.
If the government didn't wrongly blame wages for inflation, or love illegal labor so much they wouldn't need a minimum wage.
"Always popular. Always passed. Always unnecessary." and Always unconstitutional!
I make about $56 per hour, why don't they raise the minimum raise to $60 per hour. Wouldn't that be fair to everyone!?
Or $100 per hour ~
We could all be rich, or unemployed!
I've said it before, I'll say it again...
Index the stupid thing for inflation! If passing an increase one time will take away a Dim talking point, indexing it for inflation will take away Dim talking points FOREVER.
The minimum wage is a problem ONLY when it is above the normal wage rate for entry level jobs. (i.e. A minimum wage of $1/hr would be meaningless, a minimum wage of $100/hr would be total disaster.) At $5.15/hr, the thing is not a problem. Raising it $1/hr or $2/hr quickly could cause problems. Indexing it for inflation would raise it by about $0.15/hr every year. It is NOT a problem now, and indexing it for inflation would keep it from ever becoming a problem.
With the current system, political pressure builds every year until it finally reaches a critical mass and a BIG increase is passed. BIG increases cause problems for businesses who can't possible know when they are going to occur. Indexing the thing for inflation (like Congressional salaries and Social Security payments) would eliminate the political angle FOREVER.
I DO NOT LIKE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED. But it won't be! It should be managed in such a way to 1) keep it from being a political weapon of the Dims, and 2) to keep it from harming the economy, businesses and workers.
I am sorry, your suggestion is far too sensible and reasonable to possibly be worthy of such a wonderful political issue.
The last thing you can possibly expect is for politicians in this day and age to do something rational that would be good for the country.
Except for the union wages that are pegged to the minimum wage.
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