House Approves Minimum Wage Increase

[cal04]

Republicans muscled the first minimum wage increase in a decade through the House 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, GOP leaders saw combining the wage and tax issues as their best chance for getting permanent cuts to the estate tax, a top GOP priority fueled by intense lobbying by farmers, small business owners and super-wealthy families such as the Waltons, heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune.

(snip)
The House passed the bill 230-180 before leaving for a five-week recess.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., vowed Democrats would kill the hybrid bill, along with its 10-year, $300 billion-plus cost.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060729/ap_on_go_co/minimum_wage_21
roll call vote
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll425.xml
On Motion to Recommit with Instructions
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll424.xml

[Breeze54]

1. Those

fuckers! :grr:

[smtpgirl]

11. Do I predict another *pub landslide

because of this forward legislation????

NOPE, too little, too late.

Hope those 5.00 earners go out and vote in Nov = and keep the *pubs!!!!

[Toots]

25. The trouble is they are the least likely voters

They usually stay glued to the tube watching Surviver or South Park and know almost nothing about government. They figure they will let others do the governing as long as they have access to a cold beer and a color TV they are content.

[notadmblnd]

27. I beg your pardon, but poor people don't have the market cornered

on voter apathy. There are just as many middle class and upper middle class people who don't bother to vote either. What I have noticed across the board is that when people finally realize how our leaders policy decisions affect them personally, is when they become active. So what we need to do as activists is show/explain to them how the policies of the government directly affect them.

[babylonsister]

33. I agree, notadmblnd, and don't understand how one could

perceive this as snobbery. :wtf:

Anyway, I pray that when/if people learn of the min. wage increase, they also find out why it was passed. Pairing it with a cut in inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates, in the middle of the night? All apathetic people need to take their blinders off.

[notadmblnd]

34. well I don't think it's going to pass in the Senate

and even if it does, it's just and election year bone thrown out there for the pubbies to say see we tried to increase the minimum wage but the evil dems voted it down. And the way I see it, it's too little to late. Besides, several states including my own has asserted their rights and have raised the minimum wage on their own. IMO, we don't need to work at the Federal level to get minimum wage increased. We can do it at the State level.

[Breeze54]

31. How superior you must be to all of us!

:sarcasm:
We bask in the glow of your mere presence...............NOT!!!

You complete effete snob!!!

"It is difficult to like and trust a snob because you never know why a snob wants to be your friend."

FYI: http://www.answers.com/snob%20

Just in case you aren't sure of what all the above means....

[gorbal]

49. They have to wait longer at the voting line...

And they are less likely to be able to wait 8 hours to vote. Don't you remember the last election, where Democrat leaning areas got much less voting machines per capita?

I don't know why I say "They" as I was working for minimun wage only a few years ago. I don't drink beer and I still can't afford cable by the way.

[uppityperson]

2. I really wish they could not combine stuff like this.

If it passes "X voted to give more money to the rich, is bad, don't vote for X". If it doesn't pass "X voted against raising minimum wage, is bad, don't vote for X"

[Erika]

4. The democrats tried to run with it without the payoff to the rich

The GOP house killed the bill.

We need, each one of us, to contact our Senators.

[uppityperson]

7. yes and indeed. I just wish there was, well, a rule to make this not happe

to keep things seperate, each on their own. But I am a naive librul with low moral values, or some such.

[valerief]

14. Bush can use a signing statement to make it illegal. Well,

the minimum wage part. The estate tax break will go through, of course.

This administration and its puppet Congress is a joke of a joke that isn't funny.

[halobeam]

35. Only way to expose their bullshit is to NOT SHOW UP FOR VOTE

Not one Dem... get the media coverage and use a Mantra easily repeated that shows what the Pukes did. If they can't educate the public, they might as well throw in the towel.. Now that I think of it, they didn't educate the public with this... MSM should have their heads handed to them simultaneously for TWISTING the truth of this bill, and misleading their viewers. But NOPE... Dems didn't do this, they just voted for the crap bill, and let it pass. WTF are they bothering for, if this is how they THROW IN THE TOWEL. I'm sick of ALL OF THEM.

Sorry... I'm not REALLY screaming, but I'm REALLY po'd. Sick to death of this, and the way the Dems are handling this. Just sick from it. I'll educate the public in anyway I can.I have a BIG mouth, and I'm going to be talking within earshot on every store line I stand on for EVER about this bill and what it REALLY IS ABOUT... I live in a Pub county.. and I'm surrounded by them. I will shout it to and from the rooftops. I detest the "victim role" these Dems play. Damn.

[Erika]

3. Giving the working class a few bucks

while giving the rich millions. It's the GOP way. The party of the rich, for the rich, and by the rich.

I hope Reid can kill it.

[w4rma]

13. It sounds like this bill is DOA in the Senate. Repukes knew it would be.

They never wanted it to pass.

[cry baby]

5. This is only election year stuff...now the repugs can say they

voted FOR a minimum wage hike when they go before their constituents during the 5 week recess. Slimey weasel fuckers!

[w4rma]

10. Repugs can try, but they look like liars. (nt)

[Xeric]

6. There's my DINO voting with the Republicans again

34 Dems crossed over, my congresslady, Ms. Bean being one of them.
The thing is, she thinks that by voting with the Republicans on things like CAFTA and the Schiavo bill she can negate their charges of her being "too liberal" for the district ...I got a push poll from the bastards this week. From that I learned that they will STILL paint her as too liberal. The republican sheep will vote en masse against her and all she's done is piss off those of us that did vote for her. Her strategy is a loser.

[brentspeak]

30. I agree that Bean is a total idiot

But she was a corporate tool in her career prior to Congress.

[Lasher]

36. Mine too.

From my contribution to another good thread on this subject:

I just sent an email to my Congressman, Nick Rahall, who voted for this crap.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll425.xml

He also voted against overriding Junior's veto of stem cell research. I told him I was highly disappointed and asked him to justify his position. My guess is, he's playing both ends against the middle to ensure re-election in November. With votes like these, the only good he's doing is providing one Democratic seat toward a possible majority in the House this fall.

[stevedeshazer]

8. The language of this article stinks

"Republicans muscled the first minimum wage increase in a decade"

That alone tells you how much bullshit the media is shoveling for the Republicans.

As if they are the champions of the low-wage class. They think we're stupid. This is proof positive.

[Erika]

9. I only hope the democrats come out hard hitting

prior to the election. The low income worker and the middle class is being shafted by the GOP feeding the wealthy. John Edwards could do it.

[w4rma]

12. I despise AP editors who write the headlines.

approving elimination of the estate tax is *extremely* important news.

[countmyvote4real]

16. We must be diligent and vigilant about those who frame our news.

We don’t get half the international story here in the US.

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. AP doesn't write headlines

When stories move over the wire, they're slugged with a summary hed so editors at member newspapers will know what they're about before they open them. Newspapers are under no obligation whatsoever to use the summary heds.

Also, AP doesn't employ copy editors.

[w4rma]

21. The AP wrote this headline. Not "Yahoo". And it's likely the same

headline that the AP used on the AP homepage.

I just checked and it IS the same headline used on the AP homepage:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MINIMUM_WAGE?SITE=TXCLU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[flaminbats]

15. strange how Democrats in Congress are sooo eager to help!!

always looking for an excuse to claim they are bipartisan, they are conservative, and they just want to compromise.

But did Republicans love working with Democrats when Clinton was President? Not a single Republican worked with the Demcrats to help pass the five year budget in 1993 which ultimately balanced the budget. Yet Democrats got almost no credit for it! Republicans united against Clinton's effort to reform our healthcare system in 1993, but the Democrats failed to unite behind any single proposal. Republicans love to see Democratic Congressmen selling out at the expense of their longterm political future. Republicans love kicking the same Democrats around in November, who can always be suckered into voting for more bills just like this!

[radfringe]

18. minimum wage for maximum taxcut?

[jseankil]

19. Some great Democrat ad's are going to expose this trick by the GOP

They thought they could pull a fast one. Stay tuned.

[skids]

26. The mild threat there...

...is that in so doing, Dems will give the inheritance tax issue free publicity without a really effective rebuttal to it, as they'll be distracted showing the Republican trickery. It's an issue the R's would love to have in the fray. Hopefully Dems will work in an effective six word zinger that will turn those who see the ad against the inheritance tax, rather than assuming people are against it.

[calico1]

37. I hope so!

So often they have let Republicans shape the discussion. They need to expose what is being pulled here by the GOP!

[MSchreader]

20. It's a fraud

The dollar amount is not as important as the ratio between rich and poor. That will not change in any meaningful way. The only things that will rise as a result of this law are inflation and prices, which could put working people in an even worse position than they are now. Meanwhile, the children of the wealthy will have huge tax-free inheritances to play with.

Martin

[LizW]

22. This is going to hurt Repugs

When the Senate votes this down, it is going to hurt Repugs.

Yesterday, even our local news in Birmingham, AL was talking about minimum wage. They followed a couple to the grocery store and watched every purchase they made for the week. They had $35 to spend and two small kids. The camera showed their faces as they talked about the prices of things and put back things like the second package of spaghetti. At the end of the report, the voiceover said, "And they still have to buy gas to get home," and showed the car pulling into the gas station and the price sign.

[bronxiteforever]

23. we need to shout "up or down vote on min wage alone"

This is a disgrace-this should be in every ad for a Democratic Congressional race and every DEM should pledge not to take a pay raise until min wage is passed-shove the gop greed down their throats!!

[me b zola]

41. There was a firery debate on the floor of the House late last night

Charlie Rangel, Maxine Waters, and several others did not mince words when agruing against the repub's election year ploy.

Here's a link to the thread as several of us watched the debate as it occurred, it gives you the flavor of the debate:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1760397

[WePurrsevere]

24. Although I would MUCH rather have seen the original Dem minimum wage bill

PASSED... and I would much rather have had the Dems FIGHT this poison pill BS.... how permanent is "permenent" in politics? *IF* it actually makes it through the Senate with the "poison" intact (although I'm hoping they can get the "poison" removed), can't the tax cuts be reversed down the road a bit when Dems are a majority?

[Lasher]

39. It would be difficult to reinstate the Estate Tax later.

When Clinton left office, estates of up to $1 million in value could be left to their heirs, tax free. Bush and his Republican Congress passed a 2001 bill to phase out the Estate Tax, by raising the $1M ceiling with total elimination scheduled for 2010. The bill has a sunset clause, so the tax would revert to its pre-2001 state in 2011 if no more legislation is passed.

When we discuss a permanent repeal, we're talking about eliminating this sunset provision. If this occurs, then it would be possible to pass future legislation, as you suggest, to reinstate this levy. But that would be a brand new bill. To enact such a law, we would have to control both the House and Senate, and also the Presidency - or a veto proof majority in Congress.

The total cost of permanent Estate Tax repeal would be $1 trillion over the 2012-2021 period.



http://www.cbpp.org/6-5-06tax.htm

[WePurrsevere]

42. Thank you for the info. Giving tax cuts to the rich while cutting funds

for programs the poor need is my biggest problem with this whole thing. I also don't believe in the trickle down BS... I believe trickle UP would work much better and longer to truly stimulate the economy.

Thanks again. B-)

[Lasher]

46. I couldn't agree more.

Here is an article I wrote last year about supply side economics:

http://modernamerica.blogspot.com/2005/06/supply-side-economics.html

And here is a graphic that helps make my point:



http://zfacts.com/p/563.html

Zfacts is an excellent web site, by the way, and well worth adding to your favorites.

[WePurrsevere]

47. Excellent points in your article! I've bookmarked both that & Zfacts.

I'll admit I'm no math wiz but Reagonomics never made sense to me from a Psych/Sociology "human nature" aspect.

If you want to truly stimulate the economy put more money into the hands of people that are real consumers.... the working poor and middle class. To do this I think we need to cut back on "outsourcing" and create job growth HERE that keeps up with the population growth here. We need mortgage & auto loan interest rates to go down (we could add incentives to buy energy efficient cars here as well) and savings interest rates to go up. We need jobs that pay a living wage that's enough to cover the basics like: mortgage/rent, taxes, clothes, electric, phone, heating fuel, food, gasoline, medical/dental care (Insurance), Prescriptions, etc PLUS enough left over to save a bit and BUY big and little "stuff" now and then. This trickles up with demand, which creates both JOBS and Profit, which gets more money out there which gets more jobs and profit out there.

Average Americans, who live in the REAL world, know that the economy is bad. Now if we could just make our politicians LIVE in OUR world for a year or two, make them live ONLY on minimum wage or ONLY Social Security (either retirement or disability) benefits. Maybe then they'd REALLY "get it" and understand we need HELP and that trickle UP economics WORKS and that would make 99% of the voters happy quickly.

It seems to me that this is an issue that Dems should really get behind. Trickle UP makes sense and I believe coming up with a simple formula for economic growth from the bottom up would get them votes. Maybe, since the Republicans were foolish enough to think Hoover, etc's failed economic policies would work with a new name, the Dems would be smart to take a few lessons from the man who helped fix their BIG mess.

Anyway... thank you for the links. As I've grown older I find that I very much enjoy learning about this area. B-)

(edited to fix a typo... now if I could just learn to "Check Spelling" BEFORE I hit send the first time. :D )

[Lasher]

51. Amen, sister!!

Your expressed views are not only ones that Democrats should get behind, they reflect the most basic of Democratic socio-economic values. It's very good to hear from someone who knows what it means to be a real Democrat. I will remember you.

It's been a while since I did an article like the one I shared with you. I'm thinking I might do one on Social Security. If I do I'll give you a heads-up.

[WePurrsevere]

52. I'd truly appreciate a heads up if you do. Soc Sec is another topic

near & dear to me (for personal and national reasons).

I don't understand why it's so difficult for Democrats to be DEMOCRATS. To try and be something or someone you are not never really works. You come across as uncomfortable in your own skin and with who you are and people pick up on that. IMO more Dem politicians need to see who they truly are, get comfortable with that, stop apologizing for it, embrace it and even flaunt it.

[KatyaR]

28. Is it true that this bill contains language to abolish overtime?

I can't remember where I heard that, maybe on Rachel Maddow's show? If that's true, I think that's more important than estate tax cuts.

[brentspeak]

29. Fueled by intense lobbying by farmers and small business owners????

What kind of stooge is the reporter who wrote this? A GOP stooge? The only ones doing the lobbying for the estate tax repeal are the 12 richest families in America.

[stepnw1f]

32. Disgusting (nt)

[GuvWurld]

38. Bill Passed With House Under "Martial Law"; NYTimes, no mention

Check out this press release from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2006/0728-13.htm

The House didn't just muscle this shite through, they jiggered House rules to implement "Martial Law," preventing Congressmembers from even having a chance to read bills before voting on them.

The NYTimes, for its pathetic, complicit, fascist part, well, they wrote about the back and forth of the Congressional power struggle without ever mentioning the aberration--nay, the destruction--of the rule of law.

[Dover]

40. Does it strike anyone as strange that the GOP doesn't seem in the least

concerned about pleasing their less wealthy base and most Americans prior to elections?
Bush is at the bottom in the polls, the war is hugely unpopular, the conservative element within their ranks are displeased, and the vast majority of the American middle class and small businesses are being cut off at the knees by their domestic policies and large corporate favoritism...not to even mention the continuing disregard for the Constitution and the Earth itself.
What have they done for the majority of Americans lately?

And yet they show few signs of concern.
Does this cavalier attitude indicate they are confident about stealing another election?

[Chulanowa]

43. The Republicans' less wealthy base is less wealthy BECAUSE

they are Republican. Talk to one on the street about economics. Know what you'll hear, and I guarantee you will hear it from every single lower-income Republican voter in the country? "Trickle down, trickle down, trickle down". That's what they think works, so they vote for people who give them that.

The rare exception to the trickledown fanatics are hte people who think "Republicans have the right ideas" because they think Dems are communist or something. I explain to these people that I am not against big business or capitalism, only that I seek to protect entrepeneurs and the little guy business owner.

It works surprisingly well. If only our politicians could get that message across - to win votes you have to be FOR something, not just against its opposite.

[CBHagman]

45. Bill Maher had a good response to that.

In so many words, he said the trickle-down theory was an explicit way of saying what the GOP was doing to the people (i.e., urinating on them).

Some of the people I know who espouse the GOP line have very simplistic, black-and-white views of the world and apparently no imagination. They believe the wealthy are wealthy because they "worked harder." :eyes: Yeah, I'm sure Paris Hilton knows far more about a hard day's work than the immigrant crew who just painted your business.

The GOP has also gotten a false reputation for competence. However, there's a big difference between getting what you want (say, for example, winning an election) and being a success.

[gorbal]

50. They don't have much of a poor base

If you check the polls, the less wealthy vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Those that still vote for Bush are the ones you see falling into rapturous seizures on CBN.

[Earth_First]

44. Remind me again...is it an election year? n/t

[Vinca]

48. The Republicans keep outdoing themselves on the asshole meter.

You know what's going to happen to the Democrats in Congress . . . don't you? They'll be accused of voting against the minimum wage while Republicans proclaim themselves the saviors of the middle class. As another poster proclaimed last week: Republicans are human garbage.

[mvd]

53. Geez, even the title of the bill shows their priorities

"Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act." :puke:

All we have to do is show our support for a minimum wage increase only bill. How they would only give an increase when the rich got much more. Meanwhile, small estates like my grandfather's get no attention.