Posted on 06/13/2006 2:13:16 PM PDT by Da Bilge Troll
WASHINGTON — In a surprise move, a House panel voted Tuesday for a hike in the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25, which would be the first increase in a decade.
But the move by the Appropriations Committee, as an amendment to a bill funding health and education programs, is likely to be stripped out when the measure comes to the House floor.
That's because the panel does not officially have jurisdiction over the issue, and Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, said will strike the provision on the floor.
McKeon said he has no plans to move a stand-alone bill raising the minimum wage.
Seven Appropriations panel Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the wage hike, including John Sweeney and Jim Walsh of New York, Ray LaHood of Illinois, Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Don Sherwood of Pennsylvania.
"Now we'll see what they do with it." said Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who sponsored the wage hike, based on a bill by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., to raise the wage in three increments over two years. "We're going to make a very pointed issue out of this."
When adjusted for inflation, the $5.15 per hour wage is the lowest it has been for 50 years, according to a study by Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal-leaning think tank.
"The minimum wage is lower than it has been at any time since 1956," said Miller, the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "Congress' refusal to raise the minimum wage shows an utter disrespect for millions of Americans who work hard every day and still struggle to meet even the most basic needs."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
If we can't repeal it, letting it sit unchanged while inflation makes it irrelevant is the next best thing.
Won't this wage hike accelerate inflation?
It's already irrelevant, except as a political tool.
I read somewhere that of hourly employees, only a small percentage make minimum wage and about most of those are under 25.
Last I saw, only about 500,000 in this country made exactly minimum wage.
Why this is an issue, I have no idea.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2003.htm
Many states and localities have already passed laws increasing the minimum wage. I wonder how big of an impact this would even have.
I know that opinion will be in the minority around here but I can take it.
Yes, and when adjusted for inflation, gasoline prices are lower than they were 20 years ago too, but you don't hear people clamoring to impose a $5.00 per gallon minimum price for gasoline do you?
I guess you answered my question.
For the same reason the Dow Jones is the market index always reported: it provides semi-literate reporters with a number they can spout without having to understand.
Seems like there is an unholy alliance of RINOcrats and depublicans at work in the government.
If you like rising unemployment, raising the minimum wage is a good thing. If you think you can repeal the laws of supply and demand in the labor market, raising the minimum wage is a good thing. If you hate economic growth, raising the minimum wage is a good thing. You were right about one thing: I know that opinion will be in the minority around here
One more way of keeping a kid from getting that first job.
I think its more of an issue now because of the border security issue. If American's could get a fair wage (not that $7.25 is a fair wage) they'd be picking more lettuce and not so quick to let illegals do it. We have to be willing to pay more for our lettuce and apple sauce if we want secure borders. I for one am willing.
The Federal minimum wage hike only applies to the payments issued by federal agencies, right?
I remember hearing these same old arguments when they raised it to $5.15 a while back. The economy has surged, grown faster than anyone could have imagined. Those tired, old arguments just won't cut it anymore.
what about ALGORE?
I don't believe it will make a rise in unemployment. The jobs that are done by the "minimum wagers" have to be done. The cost will be passed on to us. That may jerk inflation, but I don't believe it will jerk unemployment.
Leftists seem to support both the insane anti-enterprise measures like the minimum wage, OSHA, payroll taxes, and so on—and the counter-measures, such as hiring illegal aliens, that let some employers avoid the cost of those measures.
What hiring illegals does is postpone the day of reckoning when the voters will decide that the cost of all these nanny-state regulations (plus the environmental ones) is too much to bear.
Gee, if those business-killing regs were overthrown, the Democrats wouldn't have either the illegal aliens or the corrupt businessmen to vote for them.
Why do they bother with setting the minimum wage every year or so? Just set it at $50 and they will not have to deal with it again, because it will be repealed.
"If you like rising unemployment, raising the minimum wage is a good thing."
Bah, I doubt it. Wht, the price of fast-food going to go up? At worst, pay raises will be stagnant for low-earning employees.
Simply put, not enough people make minimum wage for it to make much of a difference. Less that 2/10ths of a percent of this country makes minimum wage. Employers are already paying people above minimum wage. This is just political pandering to those who don't have a clue.
That said, I'm not in favor of raising it for the reasons I just stated. It's feel-good, do-nothing legislation, in other words, liberal legislation.
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