Why Republicans are able to get away with killing the minimum wage raise is beyond me. It should be a political suicide, but somehow it isn't. They are not afraid to vote it down every single time because they feel confident we won't be able to make a huge issue out of it. Why else?
Republicans are quick to argue that minimum wage raise will harm small businesses and economy. They always say that, don't they?
Here is a typical argument from the time Clinton was proposing (and did pass) a raise form $4.25 to the current level of $5.15:
Studies suggest that for every 10 percent increase in the minimum wage, a minimum of 100, 000 jobs are lost. A jump from the current $4.25 to the intended $5.15 is a 21 percent increase, amounting to over 200,000 newly unemployed. Other estimates would indicate a greater than 400,000 job loss.
Did it happen? Nope.
(more after the jump...)
This bit is from Clinton's letter to Congress from March 2000, when he was trying to raise the minimum wage one more time. It offers some evidence that just the opposite have happened:
Those who argue this modest pay raise would harm the economy could not be more wrong. Since 1996, when I worked with Congress to raise the minimum wage by 90 cents over 2 years, the unemployment rate has fallen from 5.2 percent to 4.1 percent -- near the lowest level in 30 years, more than 10 million new jobs have been created, and economic growth has averaged 4.3 percent.
Last minimum wage raise was voted by Congress in 1996 and reached its current level in 1997. Minimum wage workers earn $10,700 a year, which is $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. It is also important to realize that the minimum wage increase is not so much an increase as it is cost-of-living adjustment. Here is an explanation
A minimum wage increase is needed to restore the minimum wage to historic levels. The inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is 26% lower in 2004 than it was in 1979. In addition, comparing the wages of minimum wage workers to average hourly wages, we find that the wages of minimum wage workers have not kept up with the wages of other workers. The minimum wage is 33% of the average hourly wage of American workers, the lowest level since 1949. Congress has not increased the minimum wage in seven years--the second-longest stretch of government inaction since the minimum wage was enacted in 1938. When Congress does not increase the minimum wage, the minimum wage continues to lose value.
And what about Congress salaries? They give themselves raises all the time, no? From the Congressional Research Service report:
Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. Prior to 1969, Congress did so by enacting stand-alone legislation. From 1789 through 1968, Congress raised its pay 22 times using this procedure. Congressional salaries initially were $1,500. By 1968, they had risen to $30,000. Stand-alone legislation may still be used to raise Member pay, as it was most recently in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1991, but two other methods are now also available, an automatic annual adjustment procedure and a commission process. In January 2005, Members are scheduled to receive a 2.5% increase under the automatic annual adjustment procedure, increasing their salary to $162,100.
Apparently they think it is important to adjust their salaries for inflation, although now they are trying to hide their vote. How? This is how:
...the Senate voted 65-33 to raise its own pay. Actually, in classic Congress style, the vote wasn't just a straightforward up or down vote on whether or not to raise its own pay. If they had a simple vote like that, people watching C-Span might actually understand what was going on, and might have an opinion. So, instead, the Senate voted 33-65 against allowing an amendment to be voted on that would have prohibited an automatic cost-of-living adjustment from going ahead. Got it? A little confusing? Now you're getting the picture.
They didn't hesitate to give themselves a raise 7 times in the last 7.5 years. Minimum wages, on other hand, were frozen at $5.15/hour since 1996...
Check this out:
Year Congressional Salary
2005 $162,100
2004 $158,100
2003 $154,7000
2002 $150,000
2001 $145,100
2000 $141,300
1999 No Pay Raise
1998 $136,700
1997 No Pay Raise
1996 No Pay Raise
1995 No Pay Raise
1994 No Pay Raise
1993 $133,600
1992 $129,500
So if you are working two jobs for $5.15/hour and still can't make the ends meet, this is because Republican Congress repeatedly voted down legislation to raise the minimum wage. You know whom to blame. Make sure everyone else does to. As long as Republicans control both Houses in Congress country won't see any minimum wage increase. Or, if it will, it would be something along the lines of Santorium's "Welcome to our own American sweatshops" bill
They should be blamed repeatedly for refusing to raise the minimum wage. That and other "compassionate" pieces of legislation pushed by Repubs, such as malpractice bill or bankruptcy bill.
This should be a wedge issue and Republicans may finally face the consequences if we make crystal clear that they are to blame...2006 elections are awfully close.