Delftsman

Moderates Drop Trou...again

House GOP pressing vote on minimum wage

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer

House Republican leaders, giving in to political reality, plan a vote to raise the $5.15 minimum wage before leaving Washington this weekend for a five-week recess.

Let's hope that we can make your next recess a bit longer..how 'bout forever?

"Whether people like it or not, we need to go ahead with it," said Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who supports the idea. "There's a general agreement among Republicans (opposing the raise) that `maybe we don't like it much, but we need to move forward with it just for political reasons.'"

What people are you referring to, you spineless jellyfish? Delaware are you paying attention? Grow a pair and enough with this go-along to get-along business. The citizens YOU represent voted for somebody THEY thought would represent THEIR views. Rep. Castle, take a look at your oath of office. I suspect it just might say something about bearing true faith and allegiance to those that have put you in a position of trust. You are not there to make the other side of the aisle happy.

The No. 3 House GOP leader, Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, said the plan was to have a vote before week's end. But Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Republicans leaders were working to pass the increase but that "no decisions have been made."

It was a decade ago, during the hotly contested campaign year of 1996, that Congress voted to increase the minimum wage. A person working 40 hours per week at minimum wage makes $10,700, which is below the poverty line for workers with families.

WOW...color me surprised. It's a dead issue until the Season of Stooopid™. How nice of you to drop trou' and sound EXACTLY like the Massachusetts Orca, groveling to a few criminally stupid voters. Let's raise the minimum wage so EVERYBODY is ABOVE average. If you don't get it...lookup the term PARADOX. That tired meme wore out a long time ago.

Democrats have made increasing the wage a pillar of their campaign platform and are pushing to raise the wage to $7.25 per hour over two years. In June, the Republican-controlled

Senate refused to raise the minimum wage, rejecting a proposal from Democrats.

The chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee said the GOP would embrace the increase to $7.25 per hour and probably attach a proposal passed last year that would make it easier for small business to band together and buy health insurance plans for employees at a lower cost. Rep. Howard McKeon (news, bio, voting record), R-Calif., said the minimum wage bill probably will not include tax cuts such as a repeal of the estate tax.

OK..Lesson Time...Have a seat on the rock that you just slithered from beneath. I'm a business owner. It's well established, growing slow but steady. My current revenue stream permits employing 100 people with wages consistent with their duties and responsibilities. Let's keep this simple and figure the average hourly rate of my workers is $6.50. Now pay attention here the math is tricky. 100 workers X $6.50/hr X 40 hours/wk = $26,000/wk in wages. Enter stage left....political sell-outs, otherwise known as moderate Republicans. Let's make EVERYBODY happy and raise the minimum wage $2.10 / hour. This in turn will force me to increase my average wage by an equal amount, otherwise I can kiss ALL my workers goodbye. Sooooo.....working backward, my "new and improved" minimum wage is now $8.60/hr. I have already trimmed my revenue stream to allow maintenance of equipment, upgrades to more efficient equipment, competitive benefits for the workers a gazillion other costs of doing busines and hopefully enough left over to pay myself decently. New payroll figure is $34,400/week. For those of us actually PAYING the bills, it's pretty clear we just went $8400 over the weekly budget. What to do, I don't anywhere else to take this new money from unless I can figure out how to make my colon an ATM. The only thing I CAN do is LAYOFF some of my workers...24.4 to be exact. Thank you Mister Congressman, I just lost 25% of my workforce. In turn this means a 25% drop in my productivity and profit.

How do you feel NOW? Butt-Wipe. Oh you aren't out of the woods yet...guess who I give the Ax to? The lowest skilled and experienced part of my staff, because those that I keep are going to be working their butts off to make up the loss. Now what happens to the workers I layoff? Yup, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS !!!!! How are YOU going to pay that increase ya' bastich? You are the annointed ones that have the power to confiscate the wealth of those you represent. Survey Sezzz- RAISE TAXES (on those that still have jobs).

Congratulations, you just came up with the Perfect Plan™. Everybody gets screwed. Except the nitwits that legislated the Perfect Plan, they'll get their jobs back (likely) blowing smoke up the asses of their constituents.

It was not clear what other potential add-ons might soothe unhappy lawmakers and GOP opponents of a wage increase such as the small business lobby.

Keep puffing those sphincters...don't forget to breathe once in awhile though.

House Democrats cried foul on Thursday, saying Republicans planned to add "poison pills" for their business allies. Many Democrats oppose the small business health insurance legislation because it would overrule state laws requiring coverage for procedures such as diabetes care and cancer screenings.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California demanded a vote on a bill that would just increase the minimum wage. She spoke out against "the usual Republican poison pills of attaching tax cuts for the wealthy or other so-called sweeteners for the Republican special interests."

Betcha feel better now, eh Mikey? Teddy is done and now Nancy sidles up to your backside and guess what she is wearing for fashion accessories? When Will They Ever Learn *cue music*...you can never, ever, ever give the left enough to make them like you. Why not focus on you know, doing the right thing, for just once.

Inflation has eroded the minimum wage's buying power to the lowest level in about 50 years. Yet lawmakers have won cost-of-living wage increases totaling about $35,000 over that time. So House GOP leaders are bowing to the inevitable on the increase.

Forty-eight Republicans, many of them moderates or representing districts with large working-class populations, wrote Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., requesting a vote this week on an increase.

"It is time for Congress to take responsible action to raise the minimum wage and ensure our hardworking constituents can provide for their families," said the letter, drafted by Reps.

Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, and Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J.

1, 2, 3, breathe and a lick......ummm it looks like chocolate but tastes like pudding?

Conservatives responded with a letter signed by 31 Republicans asking that no vote be held.

Notice the literary "english" here. Fixate the sentence on Conservatives (those eeeevilll doers) and point out they were also republicans almost as an aside. Let me write this for you properly.

31 Republicans adhering to consevative principles signed a letter asking that no vote be held.

No, I didn't think you would like my version...it's more accurate and that doesn't fit your agenda.

"Quickly increased labor costs unrelated to business conditions will encourage or force employers to fire employees, reduce working hours for existing employees, and/or postpone plans to hire additional employees," they wrote.

I told you so, when an alleged "writer" prefaces anything as Conservative, expect Real Scary Bullshit to follow.

After a private meeting Thursday morning of House Republicans, many lawmakers said they believed the wage increase would advance when Congress returns in September.

"There seems to be a consensus that we'll do it after the break," said Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Ill.

Because the sheep will buy it and the rest won't notice the screwing they got, until after we get our jobs back. Not likely....You BUSTED Timmy !!!!!!

But GOP leaders such as Boehner believe that if the vote is to happen, it makes political sense to do it now, otherwise Democrats could hammer Republicans on the issue during the summer break.

Brother Boehner steps in to give the rest of the moderate's colons a break. How kind, batter up...from the Great State of Jawja..Cynthia McKinney....enjoy it pal you really earned it.

F.E.T.E.

Posted by LC Jackboot IC/A-OBR at July 27, 2006 09:00 PM | TrackBack