Senate Approves Minimum Wage Hike

[blonndee]

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to boost the federal minimum wage by $2.10 to $7.25 an hour over two years, but packaged the increase with controversial tax cuts for small businesses and higher taxes for many $1 million-plus executives.

The increase in the minimum, the first in a decade, was approved by a 94-3 vote, capping a nine-day debate over how to balance the wage hike with the needs of businesses that employ low-wage workers.

A top priority of Democrats, the wage hike has both real and symbolic consequences. It would be one of the first major legislative successes of the new Democratic-controlled Congress.

"Passing this wage hike represents a small but necessary step to help lift America's working poor out of the ditches of poverty and onto the road toward economic prosperity," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass.

. . .
full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_go_co/minimum_wage

[Tiggeroshii]

1. It's too bad they couldn't get it with no strings attached

but good it got passed, nonetheless

[Just-plain-Kathy]

5. At least the GOP isn't getting as much as they wanted.

Snip>>> (from same article...)

Republicans stressed the importance of the business tax breaks in the bill, though it was a significantly smaller tax package than Republicans had sought during previous attempts to raise the minimum wage.

end<<<

[Massacure]

7. Plus isn't that tax break for small business paid for by big business?

I don't think there will be a net change in revenue for the government will there?

[Just-plain-Kathy]

12. One thing I know for sure is, the more money American workers are paid,

the more they’re taxed. So that helps pay off our debt, and more goes into Social Security.

By right our government should want much higher wages. ...I'd go for that!! :)

[IronLionZion]

32. The more workers earn, the more they have to spend

and that boosts our retail-dominated consumer economy.

[TellTheTruth82]

35. and the result of that is....

inflation.

[UrbScotty]

2. Victory for America's workers!!

:applause::toast:

[fNord]

3. Woohoo!!!!

Soon i'll be able to afford my own dsl and not have to leach

:bounce::woohoo:

[2Design]

4. now doesn't if have to go back to house to get revote or changed

and then both senate and house have to vote on a final - and then we have dimwit

[pinto]

8. Yeah, goes back to the House to work out a compromise version.

The goal seems to be a final version that is filibuster proof and veto proof.

A small step overall (I would have liked to see a COLA provision, for example),
but a step in the *right direction*. Kudos to the Democratic leadership in both houses and Sen. Kennedy for his unflagging work on getting this accomplished.

[jahyarain]

6. mmmmmm, crumbs

thanks

[don954]

9. higher taxes for many $1 million-plus executives

actually, i think that is fair, I just want to know if the tax cuts were PAY-GO compliant though?

[Pab Sungenis]

29. As someone who's had to meet a payroll

I agree with tax cuts to help SMALL businesses deal with the increased payroll costs. The millionaire CEO taxes to help offset those cuts makes sense, too.

I think this is a half-decent compromise.

[entanglement]

10. Will this be vetoed? I hope not

n/t

[w4rma]

13. It *can't* be vetoed. Too many Senators voted for it.

Assuming that the corresponding bill in the House gets about as many votes as it did when it passed without the extra stuff.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. He won't veto it...He'll give the rethugs credit for it.

Watch and see how they'll tout their support for working Americans when Election Day rolls around...

[Meldread]

11. I'm with Nancy.

It would be nice if something like this was in a separate bill, but if it has to be in the minimum wage bill then so be it. I support tax breaks for small businesses, because as outsourcing continues to increase more and more small businesses will be picking up the unemployment slack. The more money that they have to grow their businesses, the more employees they can higher and the more competitive they can be in the market. (Even then its still pretty hard to compete with a large corporation that has access to tons of really cheap labor.)

What I really want to know is the yardstick they are using to classify "small business".

[anotherdrew]

14. why must it be called a "hike" ? How can they pretend to be 'fair' when they use such baised words?

It's a raise not a hike

[lumberjack_jeff]

31. Exactly. Its a minimum wage "hike" packaged with "tax relief"

Our language uses the perspective of business.

It's improved pay bundled with revenue losses.

[charlie and algernon]

15. who are the A-holes who voted no?

[GrimReefa]

17. Excellent question

Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Kyl (R-AZ)

3 Senators didn't vote...

Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (D-SD) (obviously)
Schumer (D-NY)

[Divine Discontent]

20. 3 of the most biased mean spirited senators!

Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Kyl (R-AZ)

ick...

[charlie and algernon]

21. definintely

now the important question is why Schumer didn't vote?

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

22. Sen. Coburn was one.

He "represents" Oklahoma, but does not represent the best interests of the state.

Here is a draft of a letter I'm sending.

Dear Sen. Coburn,

I noticed that you voted against raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. You cite that there is only one state left who hasn't raised the min. wage or is not considering a min. wage increase and thus this matter is not important enough for the senate to consider. What do you have against those folks in that state? What makes you think that the state would raise the min. wage? Did some fast food worker not give you ketchup with your fries?

Also, you cite the welfare benefits lost due to the increase. If you were a truly decent person, you would introduce legislation to raise the benefit amounts to coincide with the increase in wages. It would most certainly cost less than what we are paying for a week in Iraq. Maybe the congress could recoup the eight billion dollars that was lost from fraudulent contractors in Iraq to pay for the benefits.

This is from the labor department statistics, "Among the states, Oklahoma and West Virginia had the highest proportion of hourly-paid workers earning at or below $5.15 (at about 4 percent)." Does it bother you that some people actually make less than the minimum wage?

See also that According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2005, 75.6 million American workers were paid at hourly rates, representing 60.1 percent of all wage and salary workers.

http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2005.htm

Oklahoma is a poor state. Why aren't you voting in the state's best interests?

Shame on you. You should apologize to the people of Oklahoma.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ted Nancy

I don't think it is too harsh because Coburn is a truly contemptable person.

[sonias]

24. Good for you Mrs. Nancy

Even my two slime bag Senators from Texas voted for the increase. And we count both Kay "barbie doll" Hutchinson and John "box turtle" Cornyn as two of the nastiest, meanest, contemptible partisan hacks, that could give your contemptible Coburn a run for his money.

Sonia

[LynneSin]

28. Is he the asshole who tried to link Breast Cancer with Abortion

:scared:

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

33. I believe he is one them

.

[rgbecker]

16. Isn't it Interesting....

The news report has got the Minimum Wage part of the bill figured to the Penny (nothing to do with Government funds) but not even a guess about the details of the Tax breaks. Are they even slightly related to the businesses that hire the Minimum Wage earners or just breaks for those businesses that have properly contributed to the GOP? ie. Oil, insurance, banking, defense contractors.

[Divine Discontent]

18. I'm happy for those

five million makingless than 7 an hour. Now, can we push for 9 an hour in 2 years, or will that take over ten year, also?????????????



www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[all.of.me]

34. my sentiments exactly

what will $7.25 be worth in two years? $5.15?

will this actually happen in two years? it won't take long for $7.25 to be a step backwards.

[Zorra]

19. Outstanding. This is why I'm a proud to be a member of the Democratic

Party.

[LSK]

23. Minimum wage and Tax increase on Millionaires

I think this is win-win.

[HappyWeasel]

26. Yes. Quite.

This will triangulate small business people and workers against big business. This was the best outcome possible.

[Kurovski]

27. K&R.(nt)

[randycrow]

30. Unfortunately it is playing into the hands of the communi$t$

The bad guys are working hard to trigger price increases as they did in 1973 and 1978 when they manipulated oil prices way up and massive transfers of wealth from the middle class to the extremely wealthy via inflation. Any salary benefits will be offset by price increases. The bad guys' hate little guys' working for themselves so I expect tax breaks for small businesses will be axed.