Monday, November 13, 2006
Starting the Min Wage Discussion Again
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Travis,
I know what you mean. Even people that know better (Paul Krugman) are behind this legislation.
It's gotta be 100% politics. Democrats are eager to do something to help the poor (or at least do something that looks like they're helping the poor), and raising the minimum wage is an easy (though blunt) way to do that.
Republicans are already partially behind the legislation. Sen. John McCain said on Meet The Press this weekend that he would support the messure if it included protections for small business.
Plus, The min wage is familiar to everybody. Unlike reforms of existing welfare programs, it won't need to be explained or justified to the American people.
So this will give Dems an early political victory that will have a very slim chance of doing more good than harm for poor people. Why not do it? Aside from actually caring about the consequences?
I know what you mean. Even people that know better (Paul Krugman) are behind this legislation.
It's gotta be 100% politics. Democrats are eager to do something to help the poor (or at least do something that looks like they're helping the poor), and raising the minimum wage is an easy (though blunt) way to do that.
Republicans are already partially behind the legislation. Sen. John McCain said on Meet The Press this weekend that he would support the messure if it included protections for small business.
Plus, The min wage is familiar to everybody. Unlike reforms of existing welfare programs, it won't need to be explained or justified to the American people.
So this will give Dems an early political victory that will have a very slim chance of doing more good than harm for poor people. Why not do it? Aside from actually caring about the consequences?
# posted by 
: 9:31 AM
: 9:31 AM
Maybe it's best if it passes this time. It's tied to inflation (right?), so that means there will never be a reason to raise it again to truly detrimental levels.
I know this is a totally defeatist attitude, but the alternative is to make sure a majority of Americans are informed about the real consequences of the minimum wage. And that's a daunting task.
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I know this is a totally defeatist attitude, but the alternative is to make sure a majority of Americans are informed about the real consequences of the minimum wage. And that's a daunting task.
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