Rich Senators Defeat Min-Wage Hike

[katty]

more at:
http://www.wesh.com/helenthomas/5183628/detail.html

Rich Senators Defeat Minimum-Wage Hike
Congressional Pay Rises While Minimum Stays Same
Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist

POSTED: 6:12 pm EDT October 26, 2005


U.S. senators -- who draw salaries of $162,100 a year and enjoy a raft of perks -- have rejected a minimum wage hike from $5.15 an hour to $6.25 for blue-collar workers.

Can you believe it?

The proposed increase was sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and turned down in the Senate by a vote of 51 against the boost and 49 in favor. Under a Senate agreement, it needed 60 votes to pass.

All the Democrats voted for the wage boost. All the negative votes were cast by Republicans.

Four Republicans voted for it. Three of the four are running for reelection and were probably worried about how voters would react if they knew that their well-heeled senators had turned down a pittance of an increase in the salaries of the lowest paid workers in the country.

The minimum wage was last increased in 1997.

Kennedy called the vote "absolutely unconscionable."

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. I wonder if ANY

of them ever worked for minimum wage? EVER?

[Democrats_win]

2. The Republican Slave machine rolls on.

[stevebreeze]

3. I think it's notable that in the same time as the min wage stagnation

since '97 Senators have had an increase greater then double the yearly salary of min wage workers working full time.
$28,000 for Senators vs. $10,300 for 2000 hours of work year

[Catchawave]

4. Hope is on the way :)

From John Edwards' One America Committee:

The One America Committee is partnering with grassroots allies, labor unions, and others to organize and pass minimum wage ballot initiatives in targeted states in 2006.

A job should be a bridge out of poverty - an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. But for America's minimum wage workers, especially those with families, it is not. Today, a minimum wage worker earns just under $11,000 annually - about $5,000 less than the amount needed to lift a family of three out of poverty.

Although Americans overwhelmingly support raising the federal minimum wage, the Bush Administration and Republican Congressional leaders have repeatedly blocked attempts to raise the current federal rate of $5.15 per hour - even though it was established almost a decade ago. This current minimum represents only 33% of the average hourly wage of American workers, the worst ratio since 1949.

Recognizing that the value of the federal minimum wage has declined dramatically since 1996, seventeen states and the District of Columbia have enacted their own higher minimum wage rates. Most recently, 72% of voters in Florida and 68% of voters in Nevada voted to increase their state minimum wage rates in 2004. Several cities have also enacted minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate over the last few years.

Since the Bush Administration and the Republican-led Congress have continued to block attempts to increase the minimum wage at the federal level, we are working with grassroots coalitions to organize and pass minimum wage ballot initiatives in targeted states in 2006.

More info at: http://www.oneamericacommittee.org/minimumwage/

[demobrit]

5. In UK Minimum wage is around $9.20 current exch rates

Still regarded as a subsistance wage here where families would require
income support to live.