Posted on 01/12/2007 6:33:26 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32
As part of their first 100 hours plan, Democrats are pushing a hike in the minimum wage. It's going to happen, with several Republicans and even President Bush prepared to go along with it. But did you know that American Samoa...a Democrat stronghold...is being exempted from the minimum wage increase?
And just what are the reasons being given for this? According to the chairman of the House, Education and Labor Committee, Democrat George Miller of California, the economy of American Samoa doesn't have the ability to handle the United States' minimum wage and should be exempt. Nice try...want to know the real reason? The answer is the tuna industry and like the product itself, this one stinks to high heaven.
The average wage for tuna workers in American Samoa is $3.60 an hour. One of the biggest employers there is Starkist Tuna...which is headquartered in San Francisco...Nancy Pelosi land. Anybody care to take a closer look at the campaign contributions of Democrats in the last election? One thing is for sure, the delegate from American Samoa, a Democrat, is loaded down with campaign cash from the tuna industry.
So there you have it...a double standard. On the one hand, we're told you can't raise a family on $5.15 an hour and the minimum wage must be raised to $7.25 an hour. But for the right price in campaign contributions, the tuna industry in American Samoa can avoid the minimum wage altogether...they just have to stuff the pockets of the right Democrats. Where is the media on this one?
Will the press be taking a closer look at Nancy Pelosi's campaign finance disclosures? Probably not. But somebody will.
ping..Nancy's hubby is the one with the huge stake in starkist..
I've been here long enough to see these things, and I have neither the time not the inclination to list anything specific. If you want to question this, do your own research on it.
OK
I've seen just about every kind of ---INO there is, mentioned here.
That's not the point. Of course the minimum wage is a bad idea pretty much anywhere, and especially in very depressed economies. It probably is a very good idea to keep the minimum wage low in Am Samoa, and if they don't hundreds or thousands of them will lose their jobs, and it could cripple StarKist along with many other industries that support the islands.
The hypocrisy is that she must know then, that raising the minimum wage hurts economies and hurts people. She knows it but still makes partisan hay of the issue, in order to push the usual leftist agenda.
Federal Contract Awards by Contractor Congressional District
Nancy Pelosi comes in 3rd place.
Regards, Ivan
The real reason why Pelosi and the Dems always push for increases in minimum wage can be found from her donor list which is topped by unions. Many union contracts have clauses which trigger automatic wage increases when the federal minimum wage rises. In other words, raising the minimum wage is not about helping 'the poor' but payback for union support of Dem candidates.
When the Republicans do it, that is bad. When the Democrats do it, that is bad, too.
The Democrats are doing it here. And it's plenty bad.
Nancy Pelosi's congress just exempted American Somoa's largest employer from the newly increased minimum wage. This will mean that Paul Pelosi will profit greatly, and Starkist will have an advantage over other operators.
Now, I'm no fan of the minimum wage. But if you believe in the minimum wage, how can you believe it for some and not for others? Why should Paul Pelosi be able to use his connections to make artificially high profits at the expense of the working poor of American Somoa and his competitors?
Looks like this Congress is about (most of) America's Children.
This is GREAT stuff you have found!!! AND this also drags KERRY into the scandal!!
"Sorry Charlie."
Our government is for sale to big corporations? Who'd a thunk it?
I am quite pleased at how many good researchers are on FR.
Now, who should we contact?
It's bad no matter who does it...but it's what politicians do.
Quite so. And another example of dishonestly presenting the reality of the issues.
OK guys, look at this one!!! Read down through this and you will see that Pelosi stands to directly benefit from the American Samoa exemption, and so does John Kerry via Teresa Heinz!!
I just heard about this; I have to say I'm stunned at her nerve.
Does she think she's so untouchable nobody will say a word?
BTW, I'm now not buying Heinz OR DelMonte.
Now who can we get to talk about this on the air?
I'm sure Rush and Hannity will have something to say about this.
So, if we are agreed that almost all politicians take bribes and tailor legislation for their own personal benefit, would you rather have activist politicians who implement broad agendas and transform society or more conservative politicians who do not wield the power of government so forcefully?
We'll get money out of politics when we get politics out of money.
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