GOP tries to kill minimum wage

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO), evidently convinced that he was beating a dead horse by continuing his quest to ban flag-burning and discriminate against gay people, announced this month that he would not seek reelection in 2008 and the thought of having so little time left to screw the working poor from a comfy U.S. Senate seat must have just been eating him alive.

Allard, who has voted against a minimum wage increase more often than Fox News smears Barack Obama, went for broke this week and introduced a bill that would have eliminated the Federal Minimum Wage entirely and left the wage rate for the lowest-paid workers to each state.

In Kansas, this would mean that workers would revert to the state-mandated minimum wage of $2.65 per hour, which is currently superseded by the federal minimum of $5.15.

"In its current form, the bill attempts to blindly blanket the Nation with a new Federal minimum wage without regard to unique economic conditions of each individual State," said Allard in fighting the proposed $2.10 increase in the federal minimum wage. "Less Government intervention, at all levels, enables the private sector to attract, recruit, and retain the best possible employees and reward increased productivity and responsibility with higher compensation."

So, according to Allard, employees in all states should expect that the good-hearted nature of business would compensate them in a way that's fair and just -- yeah, that notion has worked out well for us in the past. He also contends that it's unfair for the federal government to mandate a whopping $7.25 per hour when those people in Kansas know damn good and well that they can support their families on just $2.65.

Fortunately, saner heads prevailed and Allard's disgusting legislation was killed, but with 28 Republican Senators voting in favor of no federal oversight of the lowest wage an American worker can be paid.

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) who has long been the champion of the working poor, must have felt like slapping Allard, but was content to just publicly rebuke him.

"If we accepted the amendment of the Senator, it would effectively eliminate the minimum wage as we know it," said Kennedy in opposing Allard's bill. "We have tried to be not only the strongest economy in the world but one that is going to respect workers and workers' rights and workers' interests and workers' families. The minimum wage does not do so at the present time, but many of us will continue to battle to try to make sure it does. The Allard amendment brings us all in the opposite direction."

What's also instructive is the small number of words that it can take to move a country backwards… Allard's measure was very short and sweet and, in the following 56 words, would have amended the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to eliminate federal wage protection for low-income workers:

"Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an employer shall not be required to pay an employee a wage that is greater than the minimum wage provided for by the law of the State in which the employee is employed and not less than the minimum wage in effect in that State on January 1, 2007.''.

It doesn't take much, does it?

And here's yet another point where Americans should breathe a massive sigh of relief that they had the smarts to elect a Democratic Congress in November.

Update: Here's the 28 Senators who voted yesterday to eliminate the Federal Minimum Wage.

* Alexander (R-TN)

* Allard (R-CO)

* Bennett (R-UT)

* Bond (R-MO)

* Brownback (R-KS)

* Bunning (R-KY)

* Burr (R-NC)

* Chambliss (R-GA)

* Coburn (R-OK)

* Cochran (R-MS)

* Cornyn (R-TX)

* Craig (R-ID)

* Crapo (R-ID)

* DeMint (R-SC)

* Ensign (R-NV)

* Enzi (R-WY)

* Graham (R-SC)

* Gregg (R-NH)

* Hagel (R-NE)

* Hatch (R-UT)

* Inhofe (R-OK)

* Isakson (R-GA)

* Kyl (R-AZ)

* Lott (R-MS)

* McCain (R-AZ)

* McConnell (R-KY)

* Sununu (R-NH)

* Thomas (R-WY)

Bob Geiger is a writer, activist and Democratic operative in Westchester County, NY. You can reach Bob at geiger.bob@gmail.com and read more from him at BobGeiger.com.

[Robor007 0]

It's nice to see partisan politics is on the way out. Oh wait... :-/

[almaty 19]

they all should be ashamed ..

[Saddle Bronc 124]

LINK?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

LINK?

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/47225

[ace13 0]

Anyone who thinks raising the minimum wage is a good thing is sorely mistaken.

What it will do is raise retails across the country and hurt entry level employees, making them less desirable and less likely to get hired-thus putting them in a worse position than they are already in. They will have to spend more on groceries and they will be out of work. Good plan!

Thanks to the GOP for thinking it through instead of voting with emotion.

[ace13 0]

Ask anyone in California. It just solved all their problems

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Anyone who thinks raising the minimum wage is a good thing is sorely mistaken.

What it will do is raise retails across the country and hurt entry level employees, making them less desirable and less likely to get hired-thus putting them in a worse position than they are already in. They will have to spend more on groceries and they will be out of work. Good plan!

Thanks to the GOP for thinking it through instead of voting with emotion.

When has that EVER happened before? Kind of hard to take such doomsday scenarios seriously when for one, this is the repeated rhetoric everytime a minimum wage increase has been brought to the table, and two, afterwhich the minimum wage is raised, none of those predictions have every became reality.

[GaryC 7]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

[GaryC 7]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

Why not? People should get paid what they are worth to the company not what some pin-head in washington thinks they should get paid. It's anti-capitalistic and just wrong. Besides, anyone that is trying to raise a family on a minimum wage job has rocks in their head. Improve yourself first, get some job skills and then worry about a family. It's not up to the government to dictate to a private company what the employees should be paid.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

Why not? People should get paid what they are worth to the company not what some pin-head in washington thinks they should get paid. It's anti-capitalistic and just wrong. Besides, anyone that is trying to raise a family on a minimum wage job has rocks in their head. Improve yourself first, get some job skills and then worry about a family. It's not up to the government to dictate to a private company what the employees should be paid.

Why not? Because businesses and corporations are amoral (neither good nor bad) - they aren't in the business of paying people livable wages, let alone taking care of them. They are in the businesses of making money and especially corporations are under pressure to yield high returns for their shareholders. It's the nature of the beast. Leaving it up to that beast is like having the fox guard the hen house. You're kidding yourself if you believe that being paid what your worth is completely dependent on market demands, particularly in a global economy where factory workers in a Third World can manufacture products at a fraction of the cost that we can here. Should companies pay 12 cents a day to a worker here in America if for the sake of the argument they found Americans desperate enough to work for that pittance? Although there may be a lot of great businesses owners and CEO's who do genuinely care about their employees, the bottom line is maximizing profits even at the expense of the employees.

I'd be for other alternate solutions like, how about setting limits on the ratio of highest paid to lowest? Or tying wages to profit percentages? That would work for smaller businesses if they're profit margins are lower. Or even better, have the majority of corporations's stock owned by its employees. Or how about fixing our trade deficit? Establish fair trade?

There wouldn't be much fun in watching this year's Superbowl if each team was able to do whatever they want (no regulations) in order to win - survival of the fittest as you put it I believe. You gotta have refs, and regulations, otherwise the team that spends the most money and juices their players up with steroids and other drugs will have an unfair advantage every time.

Edited January 26, 2007 by Steven_and_Jinky

[GaryC 7]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

Why not? People should get paid what they are worth to the company not what some pin-head in washington thinks they should get paid. It's anti-capitalistic and just wrong. Besides, anyone that is trying to raise a family on a minimum wage job has rocks in their head. Improve yourself first, get some job skills and then worry about a family. It's not up to the government to dictate to a private company what the employees should be paid.

Why not? Because businesses and corporations are amoral (neither good nor bad) - they aren't in the business of paying people livable wages, let alone taking care of them. They are in the businesses of making money and especially corporations are under pressure to yield high returns for their shareholders. It's the nature of the beast. Leaving it up to that beast is like having the fox guard the hen house. You're kidding yourself if you believe that being paid what your worth is completely dependent on market demands, particularly in a global economy where factory workers in a Third World can manufacture products at a fraction of the cost that we can here. Should companies pay 12 cents a day to a worker here in America if for the sake of the argument they found Americans desperate enough to work for that pittance? Although there may be a lot of great businesses owners and CEO's who do genuinely care about their employees, the bottom line is maximizing profits even at the expense of the employees.

I'd be for other alternate solutions like, how about setting limits on the ratio of highest paid to lowest? Or tying wages to profit percentages? That would work for smaller businesses if they're profit margins are lower. Or even better, have the majority of corporations's stock owned by its employees. Or how about fixing our trade deficit? Establish fair trade?

There wouldn't be much fun in watching this year's Superbowl if each team was able to do whatever they want (no regulations) in order to win - survival of the fittest as you put it I believe. You gotta have refs, and regulations, otherwise the team that spends the most money and juices their players up with steroids and other drugs will have an unfair advantage every time.

When it comes to wages there should be NO regulations at all. If some company wants to pay a worker 12 cents an hour they simply would not have anyone working for them. People should be paid what they are worth. If they have marketable skills then they can go where they want. If company A pays a lower wage than company B then the workers will go to company B. When company A sees that if they want skilled workers then they will pay more than company B. If the government steps in and sets an artificial wage then it kills the competition for the skilled workers. It's government mandated price fixing.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

Why not? People should get paid what they are worth to the company not what some pin-head in washington thinks they should get paid. It's anti-capitalistic and just wrong. Besides, anyone that is trying to raise a family on a minimum wage job has rocks in their head. Improve yourself first, get some job skills and then worry about a family. It's not up to the government to dictate to a private company what the employees should be paid.

Why not? Because businesses and corporations are amoral (neither good nor bad) - they aren't in the business of paying people livable wages, let alone taking care of them. They are in the businesses of making money and especially corporations are under pressure to yield high returns for their shareholders. It's the nature of the beast. Leaving it up to that beast is like having the fox guard the hen house. You're kidding yourself if you believe that being paid what your worth is completely dependent on market demands, particularly in a global economy where factory workers in a Third World can manufacture products at a fraction of the cost that we can here. Should companies pay 12 cents a day to a worker here in America if for the sake of the argument they found Americans desperate enough to work for that pittance? Although there may be a lot of great businesses owners and CEO's who do genuinely care about their employees, the bottom line is maximizing profits even at the expense of the employees.

I'd be for other alternate solutions like, how about setting limits on the ratio of highest paid to lowest? Or tying wages to profit percentages? That would work for smaller businesses if they're profit margins are lower. Or even better, have the majority of corporations's stock owned by its employees. Or how about fixing our trade deficit? Establish fair trade?

There wouldn't be much fun in watching this year's Superbowl if each team was able to do whatever they want (no regulations) in order to win - survival of the fittest as you put it I believe. You gotta have refs, and regulations, otherwise the team that spends the most money and juices their players up with steroids and other drugs will have an unfair advantage every time.

When it comes to wages there should be NO regulations at all. If some company wants to pay a worker 12 cents an hour they simply would not have anyone working for them. People should be paid what they are worth. If they have marketable skills then they can go where they want. If company A pays a lower wage than company B then the workers will go to company B. When company A sees that if they want skilled workers then they will pay more than company B. If the government steps in and sets an artificial wage then it kills the competition for the skilled workers. It's government mandated price fixing.

Well, that's where we disagree. As a driver on the road, I have to obey the traffic laws and those laws for the most part are reasonable. A business is no different and should abide by rules and regulations that protect the interests of both employer and employee. We have all kinds of business laws that protect the rights of the employer and in turn it should go both ways. In a perfect world, Gary, we could all just choose employers based on which ones will be most beneficial to us, the way employers choose which workers will be most beneficial to them, but reality has demonstrated that true choice often does not exist. For example, if you computer programmer here in the states, and US companies started outsourcing to places like India where they can find programmer for a fraction of what they were paying you, then you won't have a choice but to either accept a dramatic wage cut or find another profession. Leaving wages entirely up to the market is wreckless, especially when the market has loopholes combined with unfair trade that create an imbalance of labor.

Edited January 26, 2007 by Steven_and_Jinky

[GaryC 7]

It's about time! At least some in congress has the balls to do something right! I wish they could just eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether.

Why?

Why not? People should get paid what they are worth to the company not what some pin-head in washington thinks they should get paid. It's anti-capitalistic and just wrong. Besides, anyone that is trying to raise a family on a minimum wage job has rocks in their head. Improve yourself first, get some job skills and then worry about a family. It's not up to the government to dictate to a private company what the employees should be paid.

Why not? Because businesses and corporations are amoral (neither good nor bad) - they aren't in the business of paying people livable wages, let alone taking care of them. They are in the businesses of making money and especially corporations are under pressure to yield high returns for their shareholders. It's the nature of the beast. Leaving it up to that beast is like having the fox guard the hen house. You're kidding yourself if you believe that being paid what your worth is completely dependent on market demands, particularly in a global economy where factory workers in a Third World can manufacture products at a fraction of the cost that we can here. Should companies pay 12 cents a day to a worker here in America if for the sake of the argument they found Americans desperate enough to work for that pittance? Although there may be a lot of great businesses owners and CEO's who do genuinely care about their employees, the bottom line is maximizing profits even at the expense of the employees.

I'd be for other alternate solutions like, how about setting limits on the ratio of highest paid to lowest? Or tying wages to profit percentages? That would work for smaller businesses if they're profit margins are lower. Or even better, have the majority of corporations's stock owned by its employees. Or how about fixing our trade deficit? Establish fair trade?

There wouldn't be much fun in watching this year's Superbowl if each team was able to do whatever they want (no regulations) in order to win - survival of the fittest as you put it I believe. You gotta have refs, and regulations, otherwise the team that spends the most money and juices their players up with steroids and other drugs will have an unfair advantage every time.

When it comes to wages there should be NO regulations at all. If some company wants to pay a worker 12 cents an hour they simply would not have anyone working for them. People should be paid what they are worth. If they have marketable skills then they can go where they want. If company A pays a lower wage than company B then the workers will go to company B. When company A sees that if they want skilled workers then they will pay more than company B. If the government steps in and sets an artificial wage then it kills the competition for the skilled workers. It's government mandated price fixing.

Well, that's where we disagree. As a driver on the road, I have to obey the traffic laws and those laws for the most part are reasonable. A business is no different and should abide by rules and regulations that protect the interests of both employer and employee. We have all kinds of business laws that protect the rights of the employer and in turn it should go both ways. In a perfect world, Gary, we could all just choose employers based on which ones will be most beneficial to us, the way employers choose which workers will be most beneficial to them, but reality has demonstrated that true choice often does not exist. For example, if you computer programmer here in the states, and US companies started outsourcing to places like India where they can find programmer for a fraction of what they were paying you, then you won't have a choice but to either accept a dramatic wage cut or find another profession. Leaving wages entirely up to the market is wreckless, especially when the market has loopholes and unfair trade that create an imbalance of labor.

Apples and oranges Steve. If you don't like the job you have then change it. If you choose not to then you get what you deserve. I didn't like my job and I put myself on the market. I had companies falling all over themselves offering me a job. Why? Because I took the time to improve myself. I started out at the minimum wage. I didn't like that so I applied myself and improved my work skills. When I became dissatisfied with what I made at that job I did it again. Eventually I was in the drivers seat as far as my wages go. I have changed profession at least 5 times in the last 30 years. When I saw an opportunity I did what I had to do to take that. A large minimum wage kills that incentive. Why should someone work hard to improve themselves if the government just hands it to them? I creates a lazy work force that will eventually not be able to compete in the global market. It's like welfare, if you just hand someone something then why should the try to improve? It's a basic way of thinking. If you make it easy then you remove all reason for someone to work hard to get more. They would rather let the government just give it to them.