Posted on 03/29/2014 11:59:31 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Vice President Joe Biden said Congress should raise the minimum wage because it’s good for people, business, women, and the economy. He thinks you ought to call your do-nothing representative and ask why they’re not passing a raise for the people. Smokin’ Joe also burned a certain Speaker by saying that Congress ought to do it because it’s what the people want.
But I’m sure Joe knows that Speaker Boehner (R-OH) can’t be bothered with what the people want. After all, he’s got an itty bitty circus tent full of extremists’ egos to stroke in an election year, since they’re the only people who vote Republican anymore besides the party’s actual base — the top 1%. Republicans are very busy obstructing the economy to get back at President Obama for winning again.
The Vice President got right down to business, “There’s no reason in the world why an American working 40 hours a week has to live in poverty. But right now a worker earning the federal minimum wage makes about $14,500 a year. And you all know that’s incredibly hard for an individual to live on, let alone raise a family on.” Preach it, Joe.
Biden laid out why raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would be good for the worker – they’d be making “$20,200 a year—and with existing tax credits would earn enough to bring that family or a family of four out of poverty. ”
But heck, it’s not just the workers who would benefit. Nope. Business too.
Joe pierced Republican hearts by pointing out that actually, fair wages are good for business, “There’s clear data that shows fair wages generate loyalty of workers to their employers, which has the benefit of increasing productivity and leading to less turn over. It’s really good for the economy as a whole because raising the minimum wage would generate an additional $19 billion in additional income for people who need it the most.”
But… But… Maybe the entire American workforce are just bad negotiators, like Republicans say women are. So it’s their fault and too bad for them!
Joe wasn’t having that either because it’s not just the workers. It’s the economy, stupid. “The big difference between giving a raise in the minimum wage instead of a tax break to the very wealthy is the minimum wage worker will go out and spend every penny of it because they’re living on the edge. They’ll spend it in the local economy. They need it to pay their electric bill, put gas in their automobile, to buy fundamental necessities. And this generates economic growth in their communities.”
This is no fun. Now Republicans can’t justify punishing the hardworking American populace, pretending they’re unworthy of a living wage.
In case Republicans need to hear it from those who are ostensibly their own kind, “And I’m not the only one who recognizes these benefits. Companies big and small recognize it as well. I was recently in Atlanta, Georgia, and met the owner of a small advertising company, a guy named Darien. He independently raised the wages of his workers to $10.10 an hour. But large companies, as well, Costco and the Gap—they’re choosing to pay their employees higher starting wages.”
Then Biden pointed out that governors were doing this on their own — a cooperative, regional initiative the governors started as a go-around the do-nothing Republican-led House.
Joe summed it up for the slow House, “It’s good for business. It’s helpful to the overall economy. And there’s one more important benefit. Right now women make up more than half of the workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage. Folks, a low minimum wage is one of the reasons why women in America make only 77 cents on a dollar that every man makes. But by raising the minimum wage, we can close that gap by 5 percent. And it matters. It matters to a lot of hardworking families, particularly moms raising families on the minimum wage.”
Well, okay, we all know that talking about helping struggling moms is only going to make Republicans hate this idea more. Republicans have made it clear that women shouldn’t be working, so this is really their own fault. And since they think single mothers are the bane of America’s existence, the thing to do is ignore and punish both them and their offspring. But also, no contraception will be covered, thanks so much.
Oh, wait. “And one more thing, folks—it’s what the American people want to do. Three out of four Americans support raising the minimum wage… ”
Joe thinks you should ask your representatives what gives, “So ask your representatives who oppose raising the federal minimum wage—why do they oppose it? How can we look at the men and women providing basic services to us all, like cleaning our offices, caring for our children, serving in our restaurants and so many other areas—how can we say they don’t deserve enough pay to take them out of poverty?” Yes, do it. DO IT.
Raising the minimum wage makes sense, it’s good for business good for people good for women and good for the economy. Call your do-nothing representative, write your local paper, tweet, and ask WHY NOT.
Joe’s work here is done for today.
Who in the Hell called that loser “Smokin’ Joe”? More like “slow Joe”.
BTTT
WHAT NERVE!
Wow. The liberals are totally freaked by what they believe will be a wipeout against their progressive/communist policies. It couldn’t possibly be because their agenda is destroying the country economically, morally, and militarily. No, it’s because all who oppose them are totally evil, selfish, rich white bigots.
These 0bamacrats are selfish elitist pigs!
Since the Implementation of the minimum wage why there should be 0 unemployment. It’s been raised many times./s
The government has no business trying to determine what "fair" is.
They don’t seem to understand that an employee’s production is linked to how much he can be paid.
Of course they don’t.
You are dealing with people who have spent their whole lives getting paid for doing nothing.
With *extremely few* exceptions, they have never had to produce anything of substance. (Being a plaintiff’s attorney in Civil Torts doesn’t count.)
The only way something Joe says is going to pierce my heart is if I splinter a rib laughing at him.
The democrats can lower taxes thereby giving everyone a pay raise.
Why won’t you do this Joe?
Didn't take ya long to latch on to the title of the thread did it, LOL!!
Most marxists like Jones are parasites. They live off of the working people, like you and me, getting tax-exempt grants from the liberals and the reds.
I remember Jones. She’s a marxist-lite because her statements are so amateurish and juvenile.
Having her column published here at FR is a sign that we are open to all voices, including those of the delusional, egomaniacal, over-educated, and overrated. Gee sounds like both Obama and Biden. Now wonder she likes Lunch Box Joe.
It’s only good for the unions and it will cause the cost of government to go up. Let me be clear: The increase in union wages will cause government union workers costs to go up. With those increases, there will be a call for higher taxes.
One more thing: When union wages go up, more money will pour into the union political war chests through increased dues. That money will flood into Marxist Democrat political campaigns. If this money becomes available as a consequence of minimum wage increases, any chance of taking the Senate and the Presidency will be wishful thinking.
Gee where’s the call for Fair Taxes? Or Fair Government spending? Joe you were put in charge of watching over the Stimulus Funding spending, what happened Joe?
if the dems would get behind universally voiding the clause in various union contracts around the country that states employee salary is tied to percentage increase on minimum wage... then they’d be taken more seriously
until then, it’s obvious they’re just pushing for union wage hikes
A “fair wage” is when you pay someone according to value they create. An unfair wage is when you pay the most productive worker less in order to pay the least productive worker more.
I said it almost exactly as you did back in university but my imbecile economics “perfessor” wouldn’t want any of that. Before I dropped out of his class and transferred to another prof’s class (to night class which sucked but at least I don’t have to listen to the ramblings of a liberal), I told him the reason why you’re here is because you couldn’t hack it in the real world.
I could eat a five pound block of Government cheese and still crap a better brain than that guy has. Sheesh.
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