Posted on 05/08/2015 9:42:14 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Conservative presidential candidate Ben Carson says the $7.25 federal minimum wage should be raised.
“I think, probably, it should be higher than now,” Carson told CNBC’s John Harwood in an interview Friday.
Carson added that government assistance often provides more than the minimum wage in several states, allowing people to ignore the long-term benefits of a job.
"I don't necessarily blame people for saying, 'Look, I can stay home and make this money, or I can go and work this little chicken job that doesn't have many benefits,’ ” he said.
"However, recognize that if you go and take that chicken job, you gain skills, relationships, the possibility of moving up the ladder. So a year or two or five down the road, you're no longer in that position. This is what people have forgotten."
His stance on the minimum wage makes Carson an outlier among the likely field of GOP opponents and comes with Democrats looking to make it a key issue in the 2016 election.
Among fellow GOP contenders Carly Fiorina, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.) and Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), Carson is the only one backing a wage hike.
Two likely contenders, former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Gov. Scott Walker (Wis.), don’t back an increase either.
Bush said that the federal government shouldn’t raise the wage during an event in March. Walker told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in October that he doesn’t believe the minimum wage “serves a purpose.”
Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), who is weighing a bid, would be the only other Republican candidate open to raising the minimum wage. His advisers told The Hill in February that his stance could help him earn support from working families.
Democrats believe the issue will be a winner for them in 2016, with senators earlier this week proposing a measure that would raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020.
That figure goes well beyond the $10.10 wage that Democrats failed to pass when they controlled the Senate.
President Obama initially suggested a $9 minimum wage before backing $10.10. The administration is now supporting the $12 push.
I think he means well, but he is ignorant of some basic conservative principles.
States have the power to raise or lower their own minimum-wages. There's no need for one at the federal level.
Yeah, but the affirmative-action wing of FR will cite the Constitution and whine that nothing prevents people with absolutely no elective office experience to immediately run for POTUS.
I’m one of those who thinks he isn’t ready for prime-time.
So to speak. ;)
Some of this is lack of experience in running for office. More, I’m afraid, is insufficient conservative foundations.
Mr. Carson should stay home and not muddy the waters.
There's an old saying -- "You catch more flies with honey, than you do with vinegar."
Import tariffs are the proverbial vinegar, compared to the 'honey', which would be sharply reduced business taxes and federal regulations.
Understand that, those American companies that now have significant manufacturing operations outside the territorial U.S., will not be motivated to "bring the jobs home" if they're hit with yet another tax by their government.
Begin levying import tariffs, and lots of U.S. companies will finally throw in the towel on this country altogether. There's little stopping most of them from re-incorporating under another country's flag.
Wanna bring jobs home? Then do what it takes to make America a more attractive place to do business, and businesses will respond accordingly.
I think Allen West is the only serious candidate.
Allen West is popular not because he’s black but because of his hands on enhanced interrogation experience. Being black, obviously helps people get interested in the candidate but Carson has nothing other than that and being a brain surgeon who believes in stupid things.
He seems like a nice fellow but I’m wondering where he got his conservative cred from? He lost me on the 2A some time ago. Then he stayed in the wilderness on immigration. Now he has a full blown socialist wage program? And he ain’t got much for command presence. I might follow him to the men’s room but not much farther. Bye Ben.
“The libtards do not want American manufacturing. Too dirty, hurts the environment.”
Great Japanese bikes almost killed off the HD. A tariff saved HD. Result? HD still makes the bike with the lowest quality!
A government that can mandate a minimum wage can also mandate a maximum wage.
Thanks for the insight. I really didn’t know much about Carson other than he puts me to sleep when he talks. I thought about recording his aannouncement speech for those nights I’m having trouble falling asleep.
“However, recognize that if you go and take that chicken job, you gain skills, relationships...”
If a business man is being forced to pay $15 an hour, it will be for some college grad or 30-something looking for work. He won’t take the risk on a pimply-faced 17-year old.
Carson is a social conservative for the most part. In my mind, he’s a regular guy, and his reactions are a key to what the electorate thinks. They think “minimum wage”, believe to simply be part of life, and then think “times are tough, therefore people probably need more money.”
There might be something refreshing in having a regular guy in charge, but the refreshing will probably be more than counter-balanced by the naïve.
Like all of the minor candidates, Carson pulls support from the eventual conservative front-runner.
Yes. As long as all these guys focus on Hillary, they will strengthen the nominee, but if they start going after each other, it will hurt.
I doubt most people would say cheap imports have led to superior products. But they are really cheap.
Raising imports doesn't create a barrier to competition except for competition from cheap third world labor. The American market is big enough to generate plenty of competition to drive product innovation and lower prices.
And those import tariffs worked well for this country for it's first 180 years. You didn't see a lack of competition then did you?
We need to do both. Raise the import tariffs, because imports are at an all time high. And close the border and deport illegals to reduce the supply of labor and make jobs available to American Citizens.
If you're worried about more money going to the government since there is no guarantee they would use it to pay down the debt, then lower the corporate and individual income taxes by the amount raised from the tariffs.
You get a double whammy that way. Not only does it bring back manufacturing, but Americans start keeping more of what they make and have more money to spend in the local economy.
The American market is large enough to support plenty of competition which will foster innovation and drive lower prices.
The tariffs worked well for this country for over 180 years. Since we've lowered them real wages have stagnated and numerous American industries have been off shored.
In fact, if you're not off-shoring, then it's probably only a matter of time, before your competitor does and drives you out of business.
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