How soon? Gov. to lower minimum wage to "create more jobs"

[Crazy Dave]

I see it coming. Not a question of if but when.

[zonmoy]

1. when it happens it will be the final sign that it is time to abandon this sinking ship.

[bobbolink]

15. Yes, all those people with their minimum wages cut will take off for France.

:wtf:

[zonmoy]

17. I figure it means that if there is a god that isn't more sociopath than bush

he would be figuring its about time to do the sodom and Gomorrah act on the united states. Then again why even bother when we are doing such a good job of destroying ourselves.

[bobbolink]

22. Riiiight. And all those guilty poor people can take the rap.

:wtf:

[zonmoy]

27. bob

check this thread, replied to you but accidentally posted it as a reply to my own post.

[zonmoy]

26. they already do

yet the poor and middle class do nothing while the rich and powerful kick us while we are down.

[Mojambo]

2. Crime will go through the ROOF. n/t

[Red Zelda]

3. How about: No more taxes on the rich at all

THEY make the economy. THEY provide jobs. THEY grow wealth.
Everyone over $1 million a year in income pays NOTHING.

[spinbaby]

4. While we're at it, bring back slavery

Those lazy poor people should be grateful for the jobs.

:sarcasm:

[bdamomma]

5. psst......don't give them any ideas.

[alfredo]

8. If you watched The Borat movie, some think slavery a good idea and

should be brought back.

[Indenturedebtor]

12. Hate to break it to you but slavery never went away

They just broadened the net to encompass all poor people.

If McDeath gets elected I wouldn't be surprised. Didn't they do something like this in New Orleans after Katrina? Something about a "special zone" or somesuch...

[alfredo]

14. In NO they wouldn't hire locals, they hired illegal aliens so they could

refuse to pay them and not have to worry about lawsuits.

[Fox Mulder]

13. You're kidding, right?

[Red Zelda]

19. Yes, I am

but doesn't it sound like something the wing-fucking-nuts would looooove??
And the M$M would then make sound so plausible.

[B Calm]

6. Consumers create jobs! Not corporations, not the rich, and not lower wages!

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. The new Democratic Congress just raised the minimum wage

Are you predicting that the Republicans will regain the majority?

[ogsbee]

9. No question they want to destroy the American middle class

That's why they allowed millions of undocumented workers -- to undercut the minimum wage. The Republican corporate elite hate the American way of life, decent wages for workers. The self-hating shitbags only know how well they are doing if they can see others doing terribly.

[dysfunctional press]

10. won't happen.

nt

[onenote]

11. not going to happen

its not a question of when or if. It won't happen.

[Crazy Dave]

16. A long term freeze on raising it would be more realistic

But I don't think lowering it is totally out of the question and I believe (purely speculative) that more politicians are in favor of it than would like to admit it. Raising profit margins for big business is their top priority whether its sending jobs overseas or lowering wages, not helping the average working family. Twenty-five years ago a union steel or autoworker made $45,000 a year. Those same worker's children are now lucky if they can find a job making $25,000 a year. I've recently had to dumb-down my resume and falsify my wage history because in several interviews I had last month I was told that they pay their top CAD techs what I made in 1995 as an entry level CAD tech. and what started out as an optimistic interview turned quickly into a "don't call us, we'll call you" type interview each time. Wages are going down and staying down in America, it won't take the government long to join and justify doing so.

[onenote]

18. nope.

Currently, more than half of the states have minimum wage laws that set a minimum wage higher than federal law. Only 3 states have a minimum wage provision that is lower than the federal minimum and five don't have any minimum wage law. Minimum wage laws at both the federal and state level have been around for a long time and I don't recall any time when the minimum wage was lowered.

As for a "long term freeze" -- it may be a while before another round of increases is enacted, but I don't see any likelihood for Congress to "freeze" it in order to block the increases that are currently scheduled to take effect in July 08 and July 09. The odds of anything happening in an election year are zero and if the Democrats hold Congress and the Senate (and there is every reason to think that they will), it isn't going to happen in 09 either.

[LanternWaste]

24. what are the precise and relevant factors that lead you to believe this will happen?

Then if no bills are being considered, what are the precise and relevant factors that lead you to believe this will happen?

Or is it merely "just a hunch"?

[MiniMe]

25. It was already "frozen" for 10 years.

The bill they passed last year was the first minimum wage increase in 10 years.

[LanternWaste]

20. Any bills being considered or on the agenda?

Are any bills being seriously considered in either chamber, or on the calendar to accomplish this unprecedented maneuver?

[Crazy Dave]

23. Not that we know of and anything like it would be those late night type bills

And when I mean "like it" I say something similar to the government saying that fewer people are now on unemployment than a year ago when the reality of it is most people's benefits have run out and they're now working at Burger King or Wal-Mart. I think, and it's only speculative that a long term freeze on raising it after 2009 will be more likely but the rest of private and corporate America is lowering wages, forcing employees to take pay and benefit cuts and it won't take the government long to soon follow. They're obligated to big business and helping them raise their profit margins by either two choices, let them send jobs overseas but stay headquartered here for tax breaks or let them legally be able to lower wage standards over a period of time. And maybe not as blunt and direct either. Your minimum wage will not go down (or up) but you will be responsible for your own mandatory health insurance costs...or pay a fine.

[L. Coyote]

21. The minimum wage increase in 2009 will help turn the economy around.

In Oregon, with a higher minimum wage, housing prices are not dropping, etc...

[Matariki]

28. Why do people post these dismal 'what if' scenarios all the time?

with subject lines made to sound like it's a news item already happening?

Honestly, half the time i can't tell whether DU is inundated with Fox News writers or just people like to scare themselves silly for no good reason.

How about this - 'what if' a Democrat wins the Whitehouse in 2008 - plus we get a 'super-majority' in the House and Senate - and we actually get a progressive agenda accomplished over the next 4 years.
"Gov. to initiate single payer health care" and "The US creates unprecedented college scholarship fund that will enable every qualified student, regardless of income, to get a first rate college education".

How's that sound?