Democrats seek minimum wage hike

CBS.MarketWatch.com ^ | 5/22/02 | William L. Watts

[GeneD]

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- In a move that could foster partisan fireworks ahead of this fall's midterm elections, congressional Democrats moved Wednesday to reintroduce legislation to raise the minimum wage by $1.50 over the next three years.

The federal minimum wage, which stands at $5.15, would be raised 60 cents this year, 50 cents the following year and 40 cents in the third year, under legislation offered by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who has led the charge for past minimum wage hikes.

The wage was last raised in 1996. The issue has long been a partisan lightning rod. Many Democrats contend the wage needs to rise to help lift the working poor out of poverty. Many Republicans argue that a higher wage stymies job creation.

Senate Republicans rejected an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to move the bill onto the Senate floor ahead of the July recess.

"The cruel hoax of minimum wage laws is that by setting artificially high wages you prevent people from getting their feet on the first rung of the economic ladder," said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas.

Kennedy argued that the bill was "extremely reasonable" for employers and would significantly improve the lot of low-income workers, amounting to $3,000 for a minimum wage family. "It's 15 months of groceries, over eight months of rent, seven months of utilities, and the full tuition for a community college," he said.

William L. Watts is a reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com.

[My Identity]

All the old stand-bys are coming out.

[TheDon]

Another attempt at an election year issue by the poor Dems. I hate to break it to them, but President Bush will sign it into law as soon as they pass it through Congress. Don't ya love politricks?

[lormand]

Guess what?

Lyndon Baines Bush will gladly sign it.

[IronJack]

Time to trot out all the tired old ponies in the Democrats' vote-buying stable. Look for an increase in Social Security benefits, more textbooks for the children, and a huggy, fluffy puppy for everyone who wants one. And it won't cost you a dime.

Until AFTER the election ...

[Blackyce]

Unemployment is at its highest level in years, our economy just barely avoids a recession........hmmmmmmmmm.......Is there anyway we can force our elected officials to take an introductory course in Economics?

[Blackyce]

That's it, I almost forgot it was an election season. That's what I get for trying to think logically. Seems like the Democrats are holding a political sweeps month right now. They're throwing everything out there hoping to gain a foothold on the national agenda.

[stylin19a]

What they never mention is, if/when the minimum wage gets increased, the feds take in additional tax dollars. ( assuming there is no lost jobs, causing a decrease in tax dollars) and congress never mentions what they will do with the xtra money.
I'm thinking it doesn't get past the House.

[conserved]

I wonder what an increased minimum wage would do to K-Mart's plans to recover from bankrupcty?

[RWCon]

They should repeal the minimum wage. Let the government set the pay for government workers and let private employers set the pay for their workers.

[Fast 1975]

I think this falls into a Michael Savagism- Medicare Medicade, the environment, and a womens right to choose. It's a hoax, raising the minimum wage will require raising the wages of those working above minimum wage, raising the salaries of managerment and eventually raising the cost of goods- same result- just makes the imports less expensive and our exports more.

[Dutch Boy]

The minimum wage hike wouldn't be needed if we could just figure out how to keep the government out of our paychecks. The GOP ought to drive that home. They need to keep pointing out that when the left raises taxes it hurt the children and eldery the most. Turn the tide on them for a change. The GOP needs to keep the left on the defensive at all times.

[lewislynn]

The GOP needs to keep the left on the defensive at all times.

"GOP" and "the left" is an oxymoron.