Originally Posted at
The Yankee Rag
It seems that Bruno and Silver have decided to work together a little bit to raise New York's minimum wage to $7.15 an hour over the next two and a half years. The article starts off with a beautiful opening line
In one of their few achievements in Albany this year, the state's two top legislators agreed on Tuesday to gradually raise the minimum wage in New York State by $2 - to $7.15 from $5.15 an hour - by January 2007.
The Times might not be able to be as hard-hitting as I would like on matters in DC, but they get pretty close when it comes to Albany. I'm not going to get my hopes up high yet though since this bill has only been introduced, not passed and signed by Pataki.
And of course the pro-business lobby is up in arms.
Opponents of the increase say it will force small businesses to charge consumers more and to pay additional Social Security, unemployment and Medicare taxes. Robert Ward of the Business Council of New York, a lobbying group, said the increase could actually hurt low-wage workers by endangering their eligibility for earned income tax credits.
In an e-mail message, Mr. Ward wrote that "a higher statutory wage will result in loss of existing E.I.T.C. benefits, and in many cases loss of food stamp and other benefits as well.''
So let me get this straight, we as New Yorkers are going to agree to pay people enough so they are no longer elidgible for a program which I assume the Business Council of New York strongly opposes. My brain hurts trying to see how any logic can be used to oppose paying people enough to get off of a program you oppose. Though, this isn't really about logic, it's about them getting their way and monied interests will use any argument necessary even if it contradicts previous arguments used.
But, this is a positive step forward, especially if what Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-NYC) says is true
If they think they're going to lose vulnerable Republican members on an issue, they're prepared to move to the left,'' he said. "The conservatives who dominate in the Senate didn't raise taxes, pass a civil rights law for gay people and raise the minimum wage because they changed their ideology. They know our candidates are going to campaign on those issues if they don't move."
Hopefully the Republican Majority's days are numbered in the Senate.