Posted on 07/28/2006 10:03:38 AM PDT by new yorker 77
Congress would pass an increase in the minimum wage before leaving Washington for vacation, but only as part of a package rolling back taxes on the heirs of multimillionaires, a Senate leadership aide said Friday.
The GOP package would also contain a popular package of expiring tax breaks, including a research and development credit for businesses, and deductions for college tuition and state sales taxes.
The wage would increase from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour, phased in over the next two years, the aide said.
The maneuver is aimed at defusing the wage hike as a campaign issue for Democrats while using its popularity to spur enactment of the Republican Party's long-sought goal of permanently cutting taxes on millionaires' estates.
But it seemed certain to provoke outrage from Democrats clamoring for a measure devoted solely to raising the minimum wage.
"It's outrageous the Republican Congress can't simply help poor people without doing something for their wealthy contributors," said Rep. Tim Ryan (news, bio, voting record), D-Ohio.
House lawmakers were to discuss the package at an early afternoon session, while the Senate GOP aide professed confidence the bill could advance through the chamber next week.
The aide asked not to be identified publicly because of the ongoing closed strategy sessions on the bill.
"It's the one chance for Democrats who want to get a minimum wage increase," the aide said.
The move comes after almost 50 rank-and-file Republican lawmakers pressed House leaders — who strongly oppose the wage hike and have thus far prevented a vote — to schedule the measure for debate. Democrats have been hammering away on the wage hike issue and have public opinion behind them
"We weren't going to be denied," said Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, a leader in the effort. "How can you defend $5.15 an hour in today's economy?"
It was a decade ago, during the hotly contested campaign year of 1996, that Congress voted to increase the minimum wage. A person working 40 hours per week at minimum wage makes $10,700, which is below the poverty line for workers with families.
In advancing the tax plan, GOP leaders excluded a measure popular with small businesses that would make it easier for small businesses and the self-employed to band together and buy health insurance plans for employees at a lower cost.
That idea was blasted as a "poison pill" by Democrats and labor unions. The small business health insurance bill exempts new "association health plans" from state regulations requiring insurers to cover treatments such as mental health and maternity care. And opponents fear they would offer inferior prescription drug benefits.
Democrats have made increasing the wage a pillar of their campaign platform and are pushing to raise the wage to $7.25 per hour over two years. In June, the Republican-controlled Senate refused to raise the minimum wage, rejecting a proposal from Democrats.
It's long been clear that there is wide support for the wage increase in the House, but Republican leaders have a general policy of bringing legislation to the floor only if it has support from a majority of Republicans. Perhaps one-fourth of House Republicans support the wage increase.
Inflation has eroded the minimum wage's buying power to the lowest level in about 50 years. Yet lawmakers have won cost-of-living wage increases totaling about $35,000 for themselves over that time.
Lawmakers fear being pounded with 30-second campaign ads over the August recess that would tie Congress' upcoming $3,300 pay increase with Republicans' refusal to raise the minimum wage.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
You can't get a good job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job.The "minimum wage" law is actually a minimum productivity law - employers can't hire someone on the books whose productivity, net of overhead, isn't higher than the minimum wage. No job, no experience, no good job.
You can tell that Democrats love poor people - they make sure so many people are poor. And those they require to ask for a raise, who get that raise instead of being laid off, credit the Democrats for it.
No bias here. Just objective reporting /s
Thanks for posting this ,,similar article or earlier version of one posted earlier it seems, same author..
House slates vote on raising minimum wage (bowing to moderates, seeking to defuse campaign issue)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1673828/posts
The final vote will be enlightening, I am not sure as to what it will really prove in the long run.
Looks like a bout of gamesmanship more than anything, imo.
I love it when Democrats are outraged!
Yeah, it is much better that they not have any health insurance, than "poor" Heath ins. /sarc
So exactly what was the proposed adjustment to the estate tax? The idiot reporter leaves out a vital piece of information that intellegent readers would want to know.
>>>>>"The "minimum wage" law is actually a minimum productivity law - employers can't hire someone on the books whose productivity, net of overhead, isn't higher than the minimum wage. No job, no experience, no good job"<<<<<
I've tried to convey this very message many times! I just couldn't string the words together properly.
Thanks again!
Another "Post of the Day" waiting for you in the FR Hall of Fame.
TT
Exactly. Hopefully the GOP leadership has loaded the bill with enough "poison" to ensure its defeat. Even a modest tax cut isn't worth additional price controls.
A reasonably tight, or at least not flooded labor market is a worker's best friend, not misguided government regulations.
Your analysis is silly.
Illegals will not work for minimum wage.
Thank god...If the house caved without getting something in return, I would have been really p_____ o__!!! Now at least, I won't have the government on my back when I go to the grave.
"A person working 40 hours per week at minimum wage makes $10,700, which is below the poverty line for workers with families." - If you have only the capability to make minimum wage, you should not start a family, that is blatant irresponsibility that should not be rewarded with government mandated wage increases.
I heard a rumor that the raise in minimum wage was going to be a ballot issue. Any truth to that?
P.S. I am looking for any blogs that will follow the Ohio 4th.
Hoem sales are taxed for Capital Gains, you are proabably not in the ball-park where tehy are or just haven't sold one yet.
"When you sell your primary residence, you can make up to $250,000 in profit if you're a single owner, twice that if you're married, and not owe any capital gains taxes."
The same what with Death Taxes - You or your family will not mostly likely be affected by it but rich people are -
"The tax is applicable to estates valued over $2,000,000 and the maximum rate for 2005 is 47% due to drop one point annually until 2007 when it will stay at 45% until 2009."
So I do not understand your logic, people do pay Capital Gains taxes on home sales, (if they are rich) or lucky enough and lived in a city whoose homes skyrocketed in price like The San Fran Bay Area and bought the home many years ago.
So I do not understand your logic, people do pay Capital Gains taxes on home sales, (if they are rich) or lucky enough and lived in a city whoose homes skyrocketed in price like The San Fran Bay Area and bought the home many years ago.
they find ways to avoid the tax. A lot of money is spent to avoid the estate tax and it works. When all gain on homes was taxed, people bought an equal or higher value home to replace it to avoid the tax. Very few people pay the tax when there are ways to avoid it.
I understand that people do find ways to advoid taxes - tax Attorneys is the most highly paid field!!
But just FYI, this part of the tax law - When all gain on homes was taxed, people bought an equal or higher value home to replace it to avoid the tax." was repealed.
At one time you were allowed an one time exemption for 125K or you had to buy a more expensive house within two years and roll the gain into the downpayment.
Bot provisions have been eliminated. Now you just pay taxes on your gains that break the threshold.
Someone with an estate just over $1 million (the standard exemption if the tax returns in 2011) is far from rich.
"Republicans tie minimum wage to tax cut"
But I thought the GOP was the stupid party. alan simpson told us that, didn't he?
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