Thursday, December 14, 2006

72 - The Upcoming Minimum Wage Battle: How To Counter Right-Wing Propaganda

The Democrats have proclaimed that before 100 hours have gone by in the new Congress this January, they will, among other things, raise the Federal minimum wage.

The bill, which has been languishing for years in the right-wing controlled Congress, is called the Fair Minimum Wage Act. It provides for three hikes: from the present $5.15 to $5.85 sixty days after enactment; to $6.55 one year later, which would be in 2008; and then to $7.25 a year after that, in 2009.

A critical element of any progressive agenda, of any social justice agenda, is raising the federal minimum wage. No single action could lift more people out of poverty as quickly.

And it benefits more than just minimum wage workers. Because there is a rippling upward effect, it will also help those who earn above the minimum but are still in poverty.

The right will advance all sorts of phony arguments about why raising the minimum wage is a bad idea.

We'll examine three of the main ones.

First would be, that if you raise the minimum wage, it will result in fewer minimum wage jobs, that some of those now employed at the minimum wage will lose their jobs...

For more, listen to the podcast! (You'll hear clips of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR)

Jack Clark 3:20 PM [+]   2 comments
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