House to vote on Minimum Wage Increase

The last time the minimum wage was increased was ten years ago. The current minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. The current proposed increase would be to $7.25; over two years. In June, the Senate voted against an increase; but, with election time approaching most Republicans are conceding that they will vote for it, for political reasons.

House may vote to raise minimum wage
Increase would be to $7.25 per hour; last increase in 1996

Friday, July 28, 2006; Posted: 9:55 a.m. EDT (13:55 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republican leaders, giving in to political reality, plan a vote to raise the $5.15 minimum wage before leaving Washington this weekend for a five-week recess.

"Whether people like it or not, we need to go ahead with it," said Rep. Mike Castle, R-Delaware, who supports the idea. "There's a general agreement among Republicans (opposing the raise) that "maybe we don't like it much, but we need to move forward with it just for political reasons."

The No. 3 House GOP leader, Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, said the plan was to have a vote before week's end. But Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Republicans leaders were working to pass the increase but that "no decisions have been made."

more... below
original source: cnn.com

This is good news for literally millions of americans. This rate increase is long overdue. While this could be the first increase in over a decade for the lowest income earners in America; Our Congressmen and Senators, in their great hypocrisy, have given themselves a "cost of living increase" every year in the interim. They need the cost of living increase? But the poorest earners in the country do not!

There is also speculation that there will be insertions into the proposed bill that would complicate or possibly offset the actual increase. The Democrats call these insertions "poison pills". The republicans are trying to get these "poison pills" passed to help sway some of the Reps. that are not currently on board with the Bill as it is. One of the additions mentioned was assistance for Small Business to get health insurance savings. Personally, I think the Dems may be exaggerating just alittle.

Wage at almost 50-year low
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 over that time. So House GOP leaders are bowing to the inevitable on the increase.

This is my main arguement against people that say that the min. wage increase is a bad thing. Most will say that business will raise the price of goods due to the cost increase in wages. But, I say, they are already raising prices; thanks to inflation, higher energy costs, and lastly, corporate greed.

"Quickly increased labor costs unrelated to business conditions will encourage or force employers to fire employees, reduce working hours for existing employees, and/or postpone plans to hire additional employees," they wrote.

This is the general cop out answer against the Bill. I have an Idea how about instead of buying five Yachts this year you only buy four. Instead of firing some of your lower income people and cutting hours.. How about the CEO's not being so greedy with the monsey they make off of other peoples hard work. Most small businesses I have ever been affiliated with or known, Always paid more than min wage anyway. so I dont really understand how this could hurt small business.

story within the story
There has been a noticable rift within the Republican party growing over the last year plus. While the Democrats are struggling for a single vision(as proported by the MSM); the Reps are seemingly struggling for one party.

Forty-eight Republicans, many of them moderates or representing districts with large working-class populations, wrote Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., requesting a vote this week on an increase.

The newly dubbed 'Moderate Repblicans seem to be more readily accepting of the Bill.

Conservatives responded with a letter signed by 31 Republicans asking that no vote be held.

they sure didnt have a problem voting on their own increase


There is a 'moderate' movement going on in both parties. The more centrist members are starting to understand that maybe the Dems and the Reps are more alike than they previously understood. While the 'extreme' Dems and Reps battle for airtime to push forth the 'voice' of their respective parties; the more moderate of both parties are starting to realize that these parties are no longer speaking for them.

Another Perspective: This eventual merging of the moderates from both parties could just signal what many people are starting to realize. and that is quite simply this:
Both parties are not really seperate anymore and have been corrupted by the Corporate greed that has infested Govt and Politricks. Maybe this emerging party is in response to the growing demands of the public that; extremism is no longer the masses desire. A calculated move, coming from the powers that be, to already have the next "character" already controlled and in position. You know, before decent , honest, virtuous people get ahold of one themselves.

thank you for your time.

this just in!

it seems that the Republicans will only vote to increase the Min. wage IF they can attach a tax break on inheritances of multi million dollar estates.

CNN

Minimum wage increase tied to tax cuts
House leadership couples bill to estate tax measure
Friday, July 28, 2006; Posted: 2:42 p.m. EDT (18:42 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican leaders are willing to allow the first minimum wage increase in a decade but only if it's coupled with a cut in future inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates, congressional aides said Friday.

A package GOP leaders planned to bring to a vote Friday or Saturday in the House also would renew several popular tax breaks, including a research and development credit for businesses, and deductions for college tuition and state sales taxes, said a spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner.

The wage would increase from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour, phased in over the next three years, said Kevin Madden, the aide to Boehner, an Ohio Republican.

rest of story here

It seems that the common man just cannot get a straight vote. Like the wealthy need any more incentives to keep them afloat.

well thats an update as to whats going on with this..I will continue to track this over the weekend.... stay tuned...

Why don't they just set the minimum wage at $20 an hour so that no one will have to be on welfare anymore? Hmmm. Do these congressmen have any concept of inflation?

Kid: "I can't play basketball. The rim is 10 feet from the floor. It's too high for me."

Congress: "Let's raise the level of the court by 4 feet so this kid can play too."

Kid: (while standing on new improved court) "I can't play basketball. The rim is 10 feet from the floor. It's too high for me."


Now business will have to pay minimum wage employees more, which means their products will cost more. Wealthier employees will get a pay raise to compensate, and we'll be right back to square 1.

[edit on 28-7-2006 by dbates]

Most congressman have no clue what poverty means because most of them has been born with silver spoons.

Is a shame that the regular hard working American is under the feet of these so call law makers that supposedly are in the positions they at to guard for the best interest of the people that elected them.

Now they have to get something for the wealthy . . . so they can keep avoiding taxes while claiming residency in the caiman Islands.

Incredible that we Americans depend on these clowns to be able to make enough money to feed.

American has become the joke of the rich and powerful.

Imagine them, stamping their feet, "We wannna tax break for our inheritance" stamp-stamp, WAAAAAA!!!
"Why should the poor get all the breaks, just because their poor?!?!, WAAAAAA!!!"

As far as I am concerned, politicians should NOT be paid and should not be able to take contributions or be lobbied, political positions should be volunteer positions, most likely would be filled by people who care about more than just $$$.

Keep money OUT of politics!

I have been watching the comedy show on C-Span throughout most of the night, and although they have moved on, they did have people talking on the minimum wage bill, and should here later on (I think).

The Republican guy just stood there, and kept passing on his turn to delegate time. Every Democrat that went up there called the bill "dirty".

Oh, and I loved what Nancy Pelosi quoted from the Pope. I can't remember it word for word, but it was something to the affect of "Stop acting like thieves, represent the moral good of the people."

I was laughing so hard at this point I nearly had pop shoot through my nose.

Forget Comedy Central, all I need is C-Span is seems anymore....

EDIT: Okay, it bugged me that I didn't have that quote up, so I did some searching, and here is the quote Pelosi used:

As Augustine once said, a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves

From the text of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est" ("God Is Love")

Here is a link to this encyclical in case anyone wanted to check it out :Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love)

[edit on 7/28/2006 by Sir Solomon]

Just thought I would post real quick and tell everyone that the bill passed the House, with the Tax cuts and everything.

Another Update

Well it seems the Bill made it through the house. But, and there always has to be a but with these clowns. The measure only got passed because the Republicans attatched the tax cut for multi-million dollar estates(inheretence). Just goes to show, the little man means nothing at all to the Republicans. The bill is slated to go to the Senate next week.

Minimum wage increase passes House
Sen. Reid decries move as attempt to 'blackmail' working class

Saturday, July 29, 2006; Posted: 2:12 a.m. EDT (06:12 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans muscled the first minimum wage increase in a decade through the House of Representatives early Saturday after pairing it with a cut in inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates.

Combining the two issues provoked protests from Democrats and was sure to cause problems in the Senate, where the minimum wage initiative was likely to die at the hands of Democrats opposed to the costly estate tax cuts.

The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week.

Still, Republican leaders saw combining the wage and tax issues as their best chance for getting permanent cuts to the estate tax, a top Republican priority fueled by intense lobbying by farmers, small business owners and super-wealthy families such as the Waltons, heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune.

original source/rest of story CNN.com

This is a small victory for the little guy. But it is not without a break for the wealthy aswell. As if they needed any of the Govts help. But, the Democrats just cant let this go. Harry Reid says the Dems will try to kill the hybrid bill. This to me is just stupid. The Dems being the Minority in the House and Senate, should know that this is the best chance they are going to get to have a wage increase. Unless of course the Dems take back control in the elections this year. Personally, I feel that the Dems should just let it go at this point. Let the rich babies have their way...again. But dont shoot down the whole thing. In the end, does it really matter that the wealthy get a break? as long as the wages get raised for millions of lower income families. It is still a victory for the working man. Goodness knows they need all the money they can get.

Next week when the Senate looks at this legislation I will keep you all updated.


[edit on 29-7-2006 by TONE23]

Is actually not victory at all the reason the increased the minimum wage was to make sure that their littler tax cut for the rich were also passed.

If anybody thinks that this is just a generosity from our supposedly elected members of congress that are there to protect the American hard working people think again . . .

They just wanted their littler bill to get through and the excuse was minimum wage. . .

It should be against the law in government to piggyback bills like this.

I don't know how much money will be lost on a reduction of the inheritance tax, but if it hurts the governments coffers in any way, it can easily be blamed on the min. wage increase, and not the lost rich tax revenue.

Seems they always cover their butts, find someone else to blame, or create something to blame.

That is a great trade off!

Minimum wage hike for repeal of the "Death Tax".

Takes away a Democrat issue in the process!

Republicans finally starting to lead instead of being led. Bout time!

original quote by: Toadmund
It should be against the law in government to piggyback bills like this.

I couldnt agree more. They should'nt piggyback any Bill at all.

original quote by: Toadmund
I don't know how much money will be lost on a reduction of the inheritance tax, but if it hurts the governments coffers in any way, it can easily be blamed on the min. wage increase, and not the lost rich tax revenue.

Which could be why the Senate voted the Min wage bill down in June. they had to wait to attach the other measures. And bammo when the coffers look like they have been pillaged the blame goes onto the poor....again. Crafty sons of bisquits arent they.

original quote by: RRconservative
That is a great trade off!
Minimum wage hike for repeal of the "Death Tax".
Takes away a Democrat issue in the process!
Republicans finally starting to lead instead of being led. Bout time!

(note* eliminated spacing to save space...lol)

1.)this is NOT a good trade off. I believe Toadmund is right that this is a set up to raid the coffers...again.. and blame it on the poor.

2.)Your right, it does kill the Democrats position and possible future use of this measure as a way to get votes in the coming election. Which is exactly why they voted on it before recess. Or will it?. The Senate will likely pass it aswell this time around, given that, they have ammended the Bill(if thats what you want to call it). But the Dems could still use it as a weapons. You know something to the effect of:"the republicans only voted to give you a raise if they could get a big tax break for themselves" or something corny to that effect. One thing is for sure this issue is far from dead come campaign time.

3.)republicans finally lead? -is this a joke?.. the reps have had control of the senate and house for ten years!! They have lead us into two wars, more debt than we can hope to pay off, more homeless, lower paying jobs, inflation, lower education standards, a mass exodus of industry, and sold out our infrastructure to foreign investors. You name it, buddy, and you can bet the reps had a heavy hand in it. The dems are pretty much crooks too but I am not going to sit back and let that last line go unchallenged.

Originally posted by TONE23
[

3.)republicans finally lead? -is this a joke?.. the reps have had control of the senate and house for ten years!! They have lead us into two wars, more debt than we can hope to pay off, more homeless, lower paying jobs, inflation, lower education standards, a mass exodus of industry, and sold out our infrastructure to foreign investors. You name it, buddy, and you can bet the reps had a heavy hand in it. The dems are pretty much crooks too but I am not going to sit back and let that last line go unchallenged.

When I say finally lead. I mean on domestic issues.

The tax cut was great, but in all actuality, it is only temporary, at that was done with compromising with Democrats (which is never a good idea, just ask the 1st President Bush). What happened to Social Security Reform? What happened to killing NPR? That is why if they kill the "Death Tax" it will be a step in the right direction!

[edit on 29-7-2006 by RRconservative]

original quote by: RRconservative
When I say finally lead. I mean on domestic issues.

That definately clarifies your earlier statement .. thanks.. I thought it alittle odd.

original quote by: RRconservative
What happened to killing NPR?

This was an issue that I really was discouraged about.. I always enjoyed NPR's broadcasts.. they were alot less biased than most other MSM outlets.


General questions for the room

1.)do you think that the Senate voted down the bill with the knowledge that the House was going to impliment these additions to the Bill?
2.)do you think the Senate will pass it this time around?

Test post. Please ignore.

Dbates, we had a great discussion about this over in social issues. Inflation only applies to unreasonably or very badly targeted wage increases. A moderate, industry specific minimum wage increase can be tailored in such a way that an industry can't raise it's prices to compensate without losing an amount of demand that offsets any advantage to a price increase.

In other words, we must accept that controls such as minimum wages must be consistent with the laws of supply and demand in that it must be consistent with what people are willing to pay for the goods produced.

The result when you target a wage increase this way is that the profit margin goes down to whatever degree that increased efficiency can't compensate. The rich lose a little money.

What do the rich do with their money? Regardless of what economics profs say, rich people don't actually keep warehouses full of golden umbrella stands: you can only spend so much on luxury. When you go from 90 million dollars to 100 million dollars, you don't buy a new car or TV because Rolls Royce is still the best car money can buy and after a plasma flat screen the only home entertainment upgrade left is your very own IMAX. That money goes straight to the bank and gets invested.

So when you trim from the rich, you're actually reducing the capital supply, thus forcing lending rates up. This is counter-inflationary.


In ironic contrast to this fact, this big juicy estate tax break is just gonna double the amount of money that Master Greedy Fatdude the third has in his bank account and this is going to glut the capital supply inviting irrational risks which will pump a sector up for so long and then drop it flat on its butt.

Economies, like all complex systems, rely on a fragile balance. It's not a matter of progressivism is bad, lassiez faire is good. Extremes are bad; Careful, conscious adjustments are good.

Thanks Vagabond for your insight.

I know very little about economics.. so I love any insight that my fellow members can produce.

But even from my simplistic perspective.. It made sense what Toadmund had said that this attachment of the "deth tax" repeal was little more than a way to pillage coffers and blame the poor for it later. I know little about economics like I said...
But I know ALOT about the evils of man...especially those who seek and aquire power.

Which is why I felt that the Senate's voting down of the Bill earlier in june was a precalculated move.

original quote by: The Vagabond
The result when you target a wage increase this way is that the profit margin goes down to whatever degree that increased efficiency can't compensate. The rich lose a little money.

in the end isnt that what it boils down to... the rich have to lose alittle money.. god forbid these frickin Aholes actually have to pay the people that bust their butts making those vast fortunes for the rich snobs who think that they are somehow more important than everyone else.

I am sorry to rant but this really pisses me off... BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it makes you feel any better Tone, I have managed to sorta dull the effects of class warfare on my own thinking by focusing on certain respects in which the interests of rich and poor are directly related.

I don't always see it as them trying to screw me. I often enough see it as them not knowing any better and screwing themselves as much as they screw anyone else. We're talking about putting more money in the hands of poor people, and what are we gonna do except spend the dang money right back? They'll do more business while losing a share of the tax burden. Good on us all to some extent, right?

I think the minimum wage increase is a bad idea.

And this is why.....

The estate tax...or as George Bush spin calls it the death tax.....or with my spin the Paris Hilton Tax Relief Program.(if the estate tax is abolished)

The estate tax abolishment/massive decrease is attached to this minimum bill. This is the real hidden issue. Yet another massive tax cut for the wealthiest 1% that are already rich. Why let them get richer? It is a fair tax. Why not be Warrnen Buffet, as he is happy to give out billions of his dollars, and thinks the estate tax is a good thing.

Attaching this cut to the minimum wage increase is really pathetic.

any tax cut that accompanied this bill should have been pointed right at those businesses that may have a problem paying more in salaries....a balancing act, like someone already pointed out.

an increase in the mimimun wage should accomplish a few things, at least moderately....it should put a few more people onto the taxrolls, and take a few people off of the social service lines...each of these would increase available money to the government....this money should have been in turn redirected to the business owners, who are the one's paying more...

but of course, our dear congress, are always more concerned with getting votes and contributions than they are of using logic....

so, ya, we can probably expect some layoffs, some business failures, as well as some high prices.....because the fools in congress would rather endow the friends with more money than help any of us, or small businesses out!