Tell Congress to raise the minimum wage. Vote is Today!

The American people spoke loud and clear last Election Day. Thanks to your voice, we have a new Congress. Now, please tell our new Congress--after 10 long years it is time to raise the minimum wage.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Fair Minimum Wage Act that would increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour.

Take a stand! Send your e-mail today!

Please take a stand because farm workers desperately need this pay raise. The only time most non-union farm workers get a wage increase is when the state or federal governments require employers to raise the minimum wage rate. Take a stand for farm workers like vegetable worker Olga Velarde who says, "I have been working for the last 30 years at D'Arrigo Bros. Life has not been easy due to the wages I receive from there, I can barely pay for the most essential needs such as the rent and food. My children have gotten their education through loans and they are still paying for them. As if that's not enough, we only received wage increases from the company when the state minimum wage would go up."

Take a stand! Send your e-mail today!

Please help make a difference. There hasn't been an increase in the federal minimum wage in a decade. The current minimum wage of $5.15 leaves a family of three 31 percent below the poverty line and buys about 20 percent less than it did back in 1997. A 2005 U.S. Conference of Mayors study found 40 percent of adults seeking emergency food aid were employed. In 2003 there were 3.7 million workers who worked full-time and year-round, but still lived in poverty along with their families.

Take a stand! Send your e-mail today!

E-mail your Member of Congress today. Say it's time to pass a clean minimum wage bill without tax breaks for big business, the wealthy or other unrelated proposals to benefit special interests. Unnecessary amendments will just defer a fair increase for hard working Americans even longer. Ten years is long enough. It's time to protect America's working people.

Take a stand! Send your e-mail today!

•  I have been watching the House on C-SPAN,

  and the things that the Repugs are saying about the effects of raising the minimum wage is beyond laughable. One idiot from Idaho said that he has had his people draft a bill to reduce gravity 10% to make it look like everyone on earth has lost weight (he looked like he could stand to lose a pound or 50. Another one asked why $7.25 an hour, why not $10.00, $12.00 or more? After all it is just a figure the Dems made up.

  Others are decrying how many jobs will be lost if the bill passes. In all of the wage increases since the minimum wage act was enacted in the 30's, how many times has our economy fallen on its face because of an increase? Never. Now how many times has business scandals by rich SOB's harmed the markets, employees and investors? Too many to count.

  One Dem said that over the last twelve years, big oil, industry, pharma and rich taxpayers (now that is an oxymoron!) have lobbied and got what they wanted from Congress. Now it is time for those who have no lobbyists or organized groups to get their slice of the pie. Damn rights.

  Simple economics, you give people who need money more of it, and they spend it, which in turn stimulates the economy. Give the rich more money and all they do is find ways to get even more, find ways to avoid paying taxes on it, and they horde it.

  Stupid is as stupid does...

  by IndependentlyLiberal on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 10:37:42 AM PDT

•  I sent a fax

  to my icky Rep, Tom Feeney.

  by pattyp on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 10:53:26 AM PDT

•  An increase can be ok, but

  please do not index it to inflation.  Indexing is terrible and a future economy wrecker.  

  by SilverOz on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:09:33 AM PDT

•  I think it's a done deal, and we should

  Congratulate our congress critters when it is successful.

  by bewert on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 12:38:31 PM PDT