The map looked familiar

[question everything]

A story at TIME magazine from three weeks ago about which sates have already increased the minimum pay, which have ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage, and where the minimum wage does not exceed the Federal level.

Unfortunately, the map is not on TIME web page http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1226139,00.html but that map looked very similar to the blue and red states from 2000 and from 2004:

States in the Northeast, upper Midwest, the West Coast plus Florida, Alaska and Arkansas mandate minimum wage that exceeds the Federal $5.15, while the Mountain States and the South ones are perfectly happy with the existing rate.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. ain't that interesting...

2 + 2, sheeple! surely you learned that much in grade school, right?!!

[Syrinx]

2. Lucy Baxley, Democratic Candidate For Governor Of Alabama...

Is proposing to raise it. I don't remember the exact figure, but something like $6.50.

[malikstein]

3. $6.50 is embarassing

In the late 60s and early 70s, minimum wage was equivalent to about $9.00 when adjusted for inflation.

[Syrinx]

4. it's better than 5.15 n/t

[Sherman A1]

5. Agreed

$6.50 is embarrassing, but you are absolutely correct, it's better than $5.15 and anything our dear Congress has done for workers.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Is this the map you were looking for? This was as of 4/3/06 and

doesn't show the most recent changes, but it certainly does look familiar.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm

[question everything]

8. Thank you. Yes, close enough

The one at TIME identifies Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania as "soon to take effect" and Ohio, Missouri, Montana, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada as the states with ballot initiatives proposing to raise the minimum wage.

The highest, by the way are:

WA 7.63
OR 7.59
CT 7.40
VT 7.25
RI 7.10
DC 7.00
AK 7.15

The other are from $6.15 to $6.75

[China_cat]

7. No, the Southern states are -not- perfectly happy

with the existing minimum wage rate. They think it's way too high.

[question everything]

9. Which can explain why, according to the Census date published

yesterday - I am sure they are somewhere on these pages - these are also the states at the bottom of the median household income and are too happy to be "recipient states" - getting more from the Federal government than what they send in.

Yes, the Republicans support "small government" as long as their bases get theirs.