Not Enough!

[last1standing]

So negotiations for a new minimum wage have started at $10.10/hr. Where will the two sides meet?

With minimum wage workers still making less than a living wage.

Just to break out of poverty, a single mother with one child must earn $15,510/yr. At $10.10/hr., a year's gross wages would theoretically be $21,008.00. Before taxes. Before taking time off for illness, taking care of her child, and other emergencies. Obviously, vacations and personal days aren't even in the equation. That means that after working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, that woman would make $5498.00 over poverty level, IF $10.10/hr. becomes the new minimum wage; IF that mother never has to take a single day off work.

But the living wage (you know, the amount a person has to earn to actually survive) is $3.00 - $7.00 higher than the current federal minimum wage, depending on where you live. So even if that mother lives in the least expensive area in the nation, she would need $10.40/hr. to make a living wage for herself. That's right, the new proposed minimum wage won't even provide a single person living alone a living wage, let alone a mother and child. And that still doesn't include emergencies that require time off or vacation time.

And that's where the negotiations start. Even if $10.10/hr. gets through Congress (and we all know it won't), it still isn't enough to live on.

Many people with comfortable jobs that include sick time, vacations and 401k plans wonder why so many of the poor feel left behind in this country. These are the people who will say "at least it's better than nothing" and they're right. Scraps from the plates of the wealthy are better than nothing to a starving man but they're still not enough.

I have to ask, when the best you can possibly get is still not enough, why wouldn't you feel left behind?

[daleanime]

1. K&R....

[last1standing]

3. Thanks for the kick. Looks like yours is the only one.

Not much love for the poor, even on a Democratic site.

[FSogol]

2. So, what is your plan to get a $15 minimum wage bill thru the House and Senate?

[laundry_queen]

4. Maybe

you need to have a looksee at this post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024407966

Democrats, especially at this site, should be pushing this shit hard. That you have dems on this board that won't even consider it because 'it might not get through' (you sit in congress do you?) is ridiculous. DU is where it should start. Yes, we should be pushing a $15 minimum wage. Better than starting the negotiations at $10.10.

[FSogol]

5. Even seen the history of minimum wage increases?

The largest increase ever, iirc, was about $0.70. The minimum wage needs to be at least $15 right now, unfortunately even getting it to $8.25 will be an incredible jump and nearly impossible. Obama did well by jumping up to $10.10. Getting it higher will take much more work than bashing Democrats on a Democratic website. This needs to become the issue of the 2014 midterms, not just the method for bashing whatever the administration tries to do.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/chart.htm

Still waiting to hear how the $15 minimum wage can get thru Congress.

[laundry_queen]

6. whoosh. right over your head. nt

[FSogol]

8. "Whoosh" is DU's latest way to discount people's opinions that differ from their own.

[laundry_queen]

11. No, it means you've missed the point.

You asked what the plan was to get $15 past congress. I said, it's not about passing the bill, it's about the popular narrative and the starting negotiating position. Your comeback was that there hasn't been a large increase ever passed before congress. That is missing the point. I don't give a crap what has been passed or not, or what has been tried in the past or not...now is the time to try something different and to push an extreme position in order to come to a more acceptable result than a $.70/hr raise. You are still stuck in 'but congress!' mode. We've tried that. It never works, as you already pointed out. So let's try something different.

[Capt. Obvious]

7. Even if it can't get through I'd settle for this:

[Raine1967]

9. I miss him. I truly do. nt

[FSogol]

13. Same here. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

10. It's $9.10 an hour right now in Oregon and $9.32 in Washington, so we don't think

$8.25 is incredible, and it sure is not a jump for us, nor for CA which goes to $9 this year and up to $10 over two years. What we do, you claim is nearly impossible for others?

[Orrex]

15. WA, OR and CA are Republican strongholds?

If it were a level playing field, the same things would be as readily possible for everyone.

[JaneyVee]

12. He doesn't need to negotiate, he has executive action.

[last1standing]

14. Federal Contract workers will almost make a livable wage.

Too bad he can't use executive action for the vast majority of minimum wage workers.