Republicans tie minimum wage to tax cut

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_on_go_co/minimum_wage;_ylt=AiQTJoYp1Ob_W48Xnz9IIo.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OTB1amhuBHNlYwNtdHM-

Republicans tie minimum wage to tax cut

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - 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.

"Its political blackmail to say the only way that minim

[brentspeak]

1. Holy cow. Republicans raise the bar on "shamelessness" yet again

[warrens]

2. Those sleazebags

We'll throw a few dimes to the poor, but only if we throw billions of dollars to the mega-rich. Did I ever mention that I despise Repukes?

[smirkymonkey]

50. Meanwhile, the middle class gets f-ed up the rear as usual.

Bastards. :grr: :mad:

[rodeodance]

3. AND they smucked on small bus. and health insurance!! looky

.....id.

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.

[truthisfreedom]

30. rethugs HATE small business. it encroaches on hugh corporate profits

and that's where they get their contributions.

[gasperc]

4. wow, the shock

I thought for sure they would tie it to eliminating overtime-

[Monkeyman]

19. They are its called part time worker 39 hours no overtime

[Warpy]

5. C'mon, you knew they'd poison pill this to death

They're desperate to be able to point at Democrats as being against a wage hike.

The fact is that Democrats have voted against this very thing before, simply because that two year phase in period is too damned long.

[brooklynite]

6. For those not aware of the big picture...

The Republican Congress has been running around for weeks trying to find something populuar to attach the inheritance tax revocation to, apparently realizing that they can't sell it on its own. Up until yesterday, they were trying to attach it to the pension relief bill.

The interesting aspect is that today's http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2418346">earlier stories about the minimum wage suggested that this was coming up for a vote because the GOP was panicing about the possible impact on the fall election. Apparently its not bothing them so much...

[Stand and Fight]

11. Actually it DOES say that in the article..........

Toward the end it is mentioned that Republicans don't want Democrats to be able to use this as a campaign issue in adds during the August recess... :evilgrin:

[mia]

7. So if Dems vote it down, are we to imagine the GOP campaign ads?

"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."

[ShortnFiery]

8. NO, they should vote it down and explain why. This is SICKO! eom

[Buttercup McToots]

9. Bastards

We got some real bastards buried in there...

[lumpy]

13. Problem is the sheep can't see

past the headlines.

[bronxiteforever]

10. Take them on and use it against them

This is a great opportunity-argue,straight vote up or down on minimum wage-call the amendment blackmail and say the Rethugs are destroying the working class in favor of the rich-which is exactly what they are doing.
then when they fail to allow a vote without the tax cut-propose a vote to repeal the last Congressional raise-say we can't take from the people if we don't give back!!! fight on

[lumpy]

12. Always the political game to

keep power. That's what Congressional bills are all about, power and money that goes with it. No real thought is given to the overall economic & physical health of the country. This is our democracy, guys, don't forget the moguls that have enough feed to last through their triple generations.

[dreamsvsnightmares]

14. And let us not forget

that is IRS is eliminating 750 tax auditors. Which means if there is no one there to audit can you hear the taxes not being paid

[Ezlivin]

15. Republicans would tie concrete blocks to life preservers

Whores, all of them.

[Megahurtz]

16. Pigs!

I'm so sick of their greed and selfishness.:puke:

[Stand and Fight]

17. The American people are so out of it... But Democrats can turn this around

Our fellow countrymen are so out of it that I think that they will fall for this nonsense and blame it on the Democrats. God I hate to say it, but I really do believe that our nation is that gullible. They will hear, "Well, the Democrats refused to raise the minimum wage," and then it will be closed ears after that. They won't bother to listen to WHY they refused to go along with this. The best thing Democrats can do is try to table the discussion till AFTER the break and during the break shout from the mountain tops about this "DEAL" the Thugs on the Right are trying to pull. Get the issue out there in every paper, appear on all the Sunday morning talk shows, but absolutely refuse to debate or vote on this issue now. If they vote on it now, it's going to bite us all in the ass. I'm certain of that... They have to belay discussion until after the break -- it's the only way to beat the snakes at their own game.

[mccoyn]

18. So, make them eat it.

A victory will sell a lot better than a plan and thats just how democrats should be spinning this. The minimum wage issue is immediate to lots of Americans, but the estate tax isn't. Then, make the estate tax the issue for the election.

We come with a victory, a critisim of our opponents and a plan.

[Lyric]

20. I have to wonder about the timing

I've been reading today that inflation seems to be heating up, and there isn't much left that the Fed can do about it. The suspicious part of me thinks this is likely a ploy--the Repubs get to look like heroes for giving in to the minimum wage, but they'll also get a very convenient scapegoat later on when inflation is rising. They'll try to blame it on the minimum wage increase, rather than Bush's idiotic economic "plan", which makes them look like they were "right all along" about minimum wages creating inflation.

Don't get me wrong--I still want to see the minimum wage raised, because it's the right thing to do. But it's obvious that the Repugs are seeing something advantageous to themselves in this. They never do anything because it's the "right thing"--there's always an ulterior motive.

[newportdadde]

21. Very nice timing, GDP growth is slowing and inflation is a wildfire.

So as this lurking economy finally lets out its last breath of overvalued housing booming construction and serive jobs they can help spin that as occuring because of the wage increase.. and they get the tax cuts too. Nicely played.

[redqueen]

22. "nicely played" are not the words I would use

:nuke:

[Thaddeus]

23. This was so predictable...

I wonder how it will get played out in the media.

[antiblazer]

24. Republican obstructionist

Unbelievable. They had their up or down vote for the Supreme court nominees. Now they can't have one for the poor without giving handouts to the wealthy!!

[fooj]

25. The only reason taxes need to be raised is because

Repubs can't GOVERN! They spend like wreckless teenagers and then bitch when the only solution is to raise taxes to cover their assinine, irresponsible behavior. It's sickening. I'm sick of hearing the "tax" issue. It's "mute" as far as I am concerned.

[Megahurtz]

27. They spend on every OTHER country

but their own.

[fooj]

31. The asshole is talking about helping Lebanon rebuild.

How about stopping the BOMBS first? BTW- how about rebuilding NOLA? What a novel idea.

Damn.

[KamaAina]

26. Wait 'til next year

when the headlines read "Democratic majority finally passes minimum wage hike"!

[Lyric]

28. Raising taxes is not an undue burden.

It's a necessary consequence of bad fiscal management by the party currently in power. The Republicans love to portray the government as one big money-sucking machine. And in some ways, it can be. But this time, raising taxes (or to be more accurate, putting them back to the levels they were at previously) is just a consequence of their own fiscal irresponsibility.

Republican leaders are like teenagers who went out of control with their Mom's credit card, and are now going to whine incessantly because they have to help pay back the bill. If American citizens don't like having to part with more tax dollars to pay back monumental debt--stop voting for Republicans! I'm tired of my party being branded as tax-loving fiends because we always get stuck with the responsibility of cleaning up the financial mess that the Repubs make of our national debt and economy.

[slestak]

36. True indeed

Welcome to DU!

[ramapo]

29. Republican scum

There is no end to their crap.

[truthisfreedom]

32. hell, sign it anyway. who cares about millionaires' kids when we can save

so many impoverished children right now.

[ShortnFiery]

37. The Government will go BROKE when only the Working and

Middle classes pay taxes. :grr: This is sick! Welfare for the upper 3% of the MOST WEALTHY - tax cuts and NO estate taxes. :puke:

Again, the Government will go broke and we will lose our Middle Class.

There will be only "The Haves" and "The Have NOTs" - nothing more. :(

[mom cat]

33. No fucking way. Minimum wage should stand on its own, not be

tied to a budget busting giveaway for the mega-rich.

[w4rma]

34. They poison pilled it again. The whole Rethug Party is loathsome. (nt)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. They'll only raise the minimum wage if it's guranteed that

the gap between rich and poor can continue to grow.

This should be one of the primary talking points of the upcoming election.

[Omaha Steve]

38. GOP Makes Conditions on Wage Increase

Full story; http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060728/D8J56U181.html

GOP Makes Conditions on Wage Increase

Jul 28, 4:08 PM (ET)

By ANDREW TAYLOR

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 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, R-Ohio.

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

The maneuver is aimed at defusing the wage hike as a campaign issue for Democrats while using its popularity to achieve the Republican Party's longtime goal of permanently cutting taxes on millionaires' estates.

It was not immediately clear whether the plan by GOP leaders would succeed. Lawmakers did not rush to embrace the idea.

And even if the House manages to pass the measure, success in the Senate is hardly assured. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, does not like the idea and wants to couple the business tax breaks with a bill to overhaul U.S. pension laws.

Bill Samuel, top lobbyist for the AFL-CIO said adding the estate tax to the minimum wage "is the mother of all poison pills. It can't possibly pass the Senate."

Democrats expressed outrage at the plan, saying low-income workers deserved a straight vote on increasing the minimum wage uncoupled to other measures.

[Warpy]

39. Now it's up to THREE YEARS?

Plus they're putting in as many poison pills as they can?

I predicted this, folks. That's why the Democrats need to get off their asses and start shopping themselves to every chat show out there, from Oprah to Letterman, and start talking about WAGES.

It's THE wedge issue this season. Any Democrat who doesn't jump right on it is a FOOL.

[varkam]

40. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Looks like another GOP ploy to try and back the Dems into a corner. If they vote for it, then the GOP talking point will invariably be that the Dems don't care about the poor, because they voted for the tax cut. If they vote against it, they don't care about the poor because they didn't want to raise the minimum wage.

:argh:

[BOSSHOG]

42. I don't think it will work this time

If I were a dem I'd vote against it with those riders and then howl like a horny wolf about the reasons why. If the republicans want to placate the ignorant wing of their base why don't they add a measure that would bring back slavery. And isn't it ironic that the ignorant base would benefit from the basic tent of the measure?

[Thickasabrick]

47. I so hope you are right. I think we need an email blitz to all

the dems who will vote on this to "just say no"

[Jim__]

41. Enough media coverage and it will backfire on them! - n/t

[movonne]

43. I want the dems vote no..we can see what happens after the election..

[Roy]

48. Nope! They should yell loudly and often

It should be a part of every campaign ad why there will be no minimum wage increase.
And make it plain that in order to get one every republican must be replaced!!!!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

44. This will be an easy frame.

For us.

[HockeyMom]

45. But Paris needs to buy more Bling Blings

Have a heart!!!:sarcasm:

[rodeodance]

46. Repugs playing dirty with peoples lives!

[daleo]

49. The poor can't get a raise if the rich don't get a raise too.

The politics of envy.

[WestSeattle2]

51. It's the old game....

one for me, one for you, two for me, one for you, three for me, one for you, four for me, one for you, five for me, one for you, six more me, one for you.

The party of greed just takes it over the top like they do everything else.

Twelve million for me, one for you.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

52. WTF!!!!

In three years, because of inflation (including high(er) gas prices, $7.25 an hour will be like $5.15 today! :puke:

[OneBlueSky]

53. two words . . . Fuck 'Em! . . . (and that's being kind) . . . n/t

.

[BootinUp]

54. Dems need to tell the repukes "No deal".

Let the pugs pass it on their own. Then nail them on inability to run the government on a budget.