White House Staffers Get $4,200 Raise, Fight $2 Minimum Wage Increase

[RedEarth]

Top White House Staffers Pocket $4,200 Raise, Fight $2 Minimum Wage Increase
This year the highest paid staffers in the White House – including Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett and Steven Hadley – got a cost-of-living adjustment of $4,200, boosting their total salary to $165,200.

Meanwhile, the White House is backing Congressional efforts to beat back a modest increase in the minimum wage for the lowest paid Americans for the first time since 1997. Here’s a press release issued today by Rep. George Miller (D-CA):

For the fifth time in less than two weeks, Republicans in the House of Representatives today voted to block a vote on legislation to increase the national minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour…

A full-time minimum wage worker earns just $10,712 per year - which is $5,888 less than the $16,600 needed to lift a family of three above the federal poverty threshold…the minimum wage is at its lowest level in more than 50 years, when adjusted for inflation. Congress has not raised the federal minimum wage since 1997.

The good news is, after a hard day making sure that the working poor don’t get a pay increase, Karl Rove will have some extra cash for a nice dinner and a foot massage.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/11/white-house-minimum-wage/

[Doctor_J]

1. Another opportunity that Pelosi and Harry will ignore

:-(

[Cocoa]

9. very doubtful

they've already both taken a lead on this. Haven't you heard?

[BOSSHOG]

2. I must say rove has earned his salary

BUSH ISN'T IN JAIL WHERE HE BELONGS, because of the manipulations, lies, distortions, hate and pure evil that karl practices on a daily basis.

Military retirees are looking at a 2.9% pay raise come One January; and no doubt we didn't earn it.

[hashibabba]

3. That's our compassionate conservative government for you.

They always watch out for themselves first.

[earth mom]

4. Wake up America! The bastards in D.C. don't give a damn about you!

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[mikeyj84]

7. Give a damn

did you really think that any of them gave a flying crap about you! Governments always think people are expendable!

[w4rma]

17. So does big buisness, and any other overly large group. (nt)

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. $2/hr, for 40 hrs, for 52 weeks comes to $4160/yr.

Their COL increase is roughly equivalent to the $2 minimum wage increase (assuming full time work, when most minimum wage work is not).

And they don't have to flip burgers or clean toilets to get it.

[CrispyQ]

16. Don't forget those several weeks of vacation they get!

Paid time off is one of the best benefits - if you can get it!

[mikeyj84]

19. Time Off

It seems congress is on recess more than it's in session, but they'll tell you they're working hard for us!!!

[Smooth Operator]

33. or free travel

free meals,great health insurance.

[WI_DEM]

6. not to mention the Bush tax cut which will allow them to keep

most of it.

[Catchawave]

8. I tell ya, we can frame this for 2006....

"A vote for a Republican is a vote against the working poor"

Jim Webb is using it in his campaign to unseat George Felix Allen, who voted for raising his own pay and against raising the minimum wage THREE TIMES !

[brentspeak]

11. James Webb, a brand-new Democrat, is more of a traditional Democrat

than a lot of today's longstanding career Democrats. Webb remembers that the Democratic party is supposed to be the party of the working man, woman, and family.

[Catchawave]

14. Yes he is, centrist like me...

I think we lost the "Democrats" when they went after corporate money !?

Jim's millions behind Allen in fundraising, sad, isn't it :cry:

[Hubert Flottz]

10. It means a lot if you're...

to the manor born.

[Monkeyman]

12. John Laesch in IL has been all over this

But it seem to fall on deaf ears. When are we going to stand up as one party.We can't not seem to stick as one .Bad day maybe but man we to fight each other to dam much

[lonestarnot]

13. John Edwards was on top of it here in AZ Raise It rally.

[progressoid]

15. Problem is, poor people just throw that money away on frivolities like

food, clothes, medicine...

That money could go to a decent golf trip or some hookers & a limo.

[Deja Q]

18. Ironic; their work involves increasing the costs of living...

The Federal poverty level of $16,600 is about 20 years outdated too.

[doc03]

20. It's very expensive to support a home in DC and

another one in their home state. The politicians need to drive a Suburban, Hummer or an Escalate and they use lots of premium gas. Those people on minimum wage live with their parents or only require modest housing. A 1996 Ford Escort is adequate transportation and is not that expensive to run and just what do they need a better car for since they don't get vacations and have no need to travel anyway. If those people need more money they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get another job or two.

[MazeRat7]

21. What about the majority of "staffers" at the bottom of that curve ?

Seems like I read they were now making like 30k after the raise while the tops were making like 164K. I guess my point is there are a lot more "bottoms" than there are "tops"... just ask "we the people". :)

MZr7

[Terre]

22. Companion piece

That is as unbelievable as the nerve of these jerks:

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/11/four-most-overpaid-wh-staffers/">The Four Most Overpaid White House Staffers

Deborah Nirmala Misir   Ethics Advisor  $114,688
Erica M. Dornburg       Ethics Advisor  $100,547
Stuart Baker            Director for Lessons Learned  $106,641
Melissa M. Carson      Director of Fact Checking  $46,500

[MCMetal]

23. WOW!!!!!!

This crew should all wear masks and carry guns ............I've seen bank robbers that have earned money moreso than this motley bunch has ...........

[Mind_your_head]

24. White House Director of "Fact Checking"????

:rofl:

If this is for real, no wonder the position pays so little....there's no actual work to be done in 'fact checking' for this administration obviously.

:rofl: :rofl:

[ClintonTyree]

26. What, no "ministry of silly walks"?

There's a definite need for that position to be filled immediately. How many of boosh's "good buds" have been frog marched to prison, or are soon going to be? I could be the minister of silly walks and help these poor, misunderstood, unfortunate, boosh supporters with their frog march technique. At $125,000 per year I'd say that's a bargain! We MUST have a minister of silly walks! The people DEMAND it!

[rubberducky]

25. Isn`t that min. wage increase over a 2-year spread??

[RaleighNCDUer]

29. That is also true --

and the COL raises will continue through those two years, as well.

[mkb]

27. Money And Trying To Stay Healthy

     What hypocrites the right wingers are.  They have always
complained about how much money is spent on the poor, and yet
never do anything to stop people from being poor in the first
place.  It shows how awful things are when people who work
hard making this society operate get such disrespect and
maltreatment.  We should no longer listen to any rhetoric
about making people earn their way in society, when it's clear
that the rich do not intend to reward people for being
productive.  I think it should be mentioned as well all of the
unearned "passive" income they receive that requires
no work at all.  I think it was stated somewhere that
President Bush made about $400,000 dollars in one year from
interest income.  What sort of effort did he make to
"earn" that sum.
     It's very important to realize the benefits money gives
to living a healthy life.  It's very important to choose
wisely and carefully the things you eat and drink, so as to
not become ill.  

[Donald Ian Rankin]

28. I think this topic is disingenuous.

It's an attempt to make readers compare $2 with $4200 dollars, and hence make the former seem minute compared with the latter, by comparing hourly and yearly wages.

The actual comparison is that the former is a $4160 per year rise, compared with the latter at $4200.

More relevantly, the former is a 39% increase, while the latter is a 2.6% increase, and in terms of the effects on wage bills, percentage increase is arguably more relevant than absolute.

There is undoubtedly a strong case (although not as self-evident a one as it appears at first glance) for raising the minimum wage (although raising it by 40% in one swoop would almost certainly be a bad thing), but arguing for it by this kind of disingenuously unfair comparison does the cause no favours at all.

[AllegroRondo]

30. Its a huge issue in Missouri, too

Claire McCaskill points out at every event that she supports raising the minimum wage, while Jim Talent just voted against it in the Senate.

[Sugarcoated]

31. Since we're on the subject . . .

What was wrong with the bill Sen. Enzi of Arizona put forth? I know it was probably a watered down version, but does anyone know any specifics?

[chill_wind]

32. Kicking!

[rabblerowzer]

34. Those who show NO MERCY better know what to expect.

Those who show NO MERCY better know what to expect.

Every day in cunningly deceitful ways the Republican party
attacks the underpinnings of the middleclass. Those of us at
the bottom of the food chain can only watch with ambivalent
emotions. After all, the middleclass abandoned us with stark
indifference and without a backward glance. Now it’s their
turn.

Oblivious to the Republican’s divide and conquer tactics, the
middleclass is now under siege and their heads are on the
chopping block. You can call it class envy or anything else
you want, but you can’t blame us for the Republican’s Class
War. We were the first victims, so please forgive us while we
gloat.