Where do the candidates stand on the minimum wage?

[Jerseycoa]

The real value of the minimum wage has declined 25 percent since 1979. Clark says a living wage for all workers was the right idea back then, and it's the right idea now. He supports raising the minimum wage - and ensuring that it keeps pace with the cost of living in the future.

Clark wants to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.

This still sounds low to me, but I wondered what the other candidates are proposing?

[jpgray]

1. Crickets are chirping

This is a great position from Clark--to my knowledge, no other Dem but Kucinich has similar ideas. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[JohnKleeb]

4. Kucinich would put it what it should proportionally be

Which is like 7 something, not sure but I read that somewhere. If thats the case, then Dennis continues to rock. Hes still the best on the issues in my eyes and I would vote for him if I could, its just that its so obvious to me now that people wont vote their hearts, but Kerry is a start :) to me at least.

[jpgray]

6. Dennis just owns all on the issues

If I were going with my heart in this one, it'd be Dennis all the way. My other two favorites at this point are Kerry and Dean, which gets me alternately attacked and praised from various corners of this forum. :)

[lcordero]

17. he does

:)

[JohnKleeb]

21. yep Ive known that from the get go

I wish people would vote their hearts, I really do. Heres to a good finish in :toast:

[Jerseycoa]

8. What is Kerry's position? nt

[jpgray]

11. Here, from his Senate website

Likewise, Senator Kerry is a strong supporter of efforts to guarantee a fair minimum wage. He is an original cosponsor of Senator Edward Kennedy's legislation to increase the minimum wage to $6.65 an hour by January 1, 2003. But while Senator Kerry supports a meaningful and fair minimum wage, he also understands the demands that poses on employers and favors combining minimum wage legislation with some tax relief for employers, particularly small businesses who are especially burdened by rising labor costs.

[cosmicdot]

20. DK on the minimum wage ...

"The federal minimum wage is $5.15 and would be over $8.50 had Congress adjusted it for inflation over the past 35 years. (Of course Congress routinely adjusts its own members' pay for the cost of living.) Over the past six years since the last time Congress "raised" the minimum wage, we've gone from six states to 12 that have established higher minimum wage levels than the federal. It appears likely that Florida will have a similar proposal on the ballot come November.

"In addition, over 115 cities and counties have passed living wage laws, applying higher wage standards to those working on public contracts or at companies benefiting from public subsidies or, in some cases, to direct government employees.

"Local and state governments are in closer touch with popular wisdom on this issue than is Congress. A 2002 poll by Lake Snell Perry & Associates for the Ms. Foundation found that 77 percent of likely voters surveyed supported raising the minimum wage to $8. And 79 percent supported regular increases to address the effect of inflation. A 2001 survey for Investor's Business Daily found that 75 percent of respondents supported raising the minimum wage as a way to stimulate the economy.

"Putting decent wages in the hands of those who need the money is a far surer way to boost an economy than giving tax breaks to those with more money than they know what to do with. And the living wage movement of the past decade has added more evidence to the already solid documentation that adjusting the minimum wage upward along with inflation does not cause unemployment.

"I will make it a top priority to restore the value of the federal minimum wage, bringing it up to at least its 1968 level and indexing it to automatically keep pace with the cost of living. This will allow some workers to quit their second or third jobs and spend more time with their families.

"I will combine this with the creation of a truly universal single-payer health care system, universal free preschool, free college tuition at state colleges and universities, a public jobs program to restore our infrastructure, and withdrawal from NAFTA and the WTO in favor of bilateral trade pacts that protect workers’ rights here and abroad. This platform will transform the lives of working people, and without the efforts of working people who have made the living wage an issue, this would not be possible."

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/minimum_wage.php

[WillyBrandt]

2. Kick! What are the other candidates proposing it rise to?

[IndianaGreen]

3. A better question is, where do they stand on a Living Wage?

More chirping...

[cthrumatrix]

5. Dean said this am in a speech ...raisng it as well ( I think $7 area)

[jpgray]

7. Cool! Where/when did he say that? (nt)

[Egnever]

9. Dean has allready adressed minimum wage in Vermont

It is set to become 7.00/hour by the end of this year

[lcordero]

10. It's a good idea

Clark is helping in making it sane to move back to the core values. He is helping in making it sane to move back to the left.

[Loren645]

12. Amazing that Kennedy had to tell Kerry to support raise of min wage

And that if he didn't he shouldn't call himself a Dem.
Great.
Born with a silver bone in his mouth.

[Jerseycoa]

14. No

Kerry was against raising the minimum wage?

[jpgray]

15. Kennedy had to tell him? What do you mean, and do you have a link? (nt)

[lcordero]

18. I saw it in the New York Times today

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/politics/campaign/25RECO.html

A few months later, with President Bill Clinton locked in combat with the Republicans, Mr. Kerry voiced some doubts in a closed-door meeting of senators about the wisdom of trying to raise the minimum wage. And as Mr. Kennedy later recalled, he told Mr. Kerry, "If you're not for raising the minimum wage, you don't deserve to call yourself a Democrat."

[jpgray]

19. In that case, I'm glad Kerry made the right decision. Thanks for the link

:hi:

[jpgray]

13. Kerry co-sponsored Kennedy's effort to raise it in 2001(?)

Likewise, Senator Kerry is a strong supporter of efforts to guarantee a fair minimum wage. He is an original cosponsor of Senator Edward Kennedy's legislation to increase the minimum wage to $6.65 an hour by January 1, 2003. But while Senator Kerry supports a meaningful and fair minimum wage, he also understands the demands that poses on employers and favors combining minimum wage legislation with some tax relief for employers, particularly small businesses who are especially burdened by rising labor costs.

http://kerry.senate.gov/text/congress/jobs.html

[Jerseycoa]

16. Thanks you nt

[ThirdWheelLegend]

22. Kucinich, the true voice of the people....at least 8.50/hour

As he does almost all. :)

here is the link and statement...

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/minimum_wage.php

snip>>>
""The federal minimum wage is $5.15 and would be over $8.50 had Congress adjusted it for inflation over the past 35 years. (Of course Congress routinely adjusts its own members' pay for the cost of living.) Over the past six years since the last time Congress "raised" the minimum wage, we've gone from six states to 12 that have established higher minimum wage levels than the federal. It appears likely that Florida will have a similar proposal on the ballot come November."

snip>>>
"I will make it a top priority to restore the value of the federal minimum wage, bringing it up to at least its 1968 level and indexing it to automatically keep pace with the cost of living. This will allow some workers to quit their second or third jobs and spend more time with their families.

"I will combine this with the creation of a truly universal single-payer health care system, universal free preschool, free college tuition at state colleges and universities, a public jobs program to restore our infrastructure, and withdrawal from NAFTA and the WTO in favor of bilateral trade pacts that protect workers’ rights here and abroad. This platform will transform the lives of working people, and without the efforts of working people who have made the living wage an issue, this would not be possible."
snip>>>

**********************************************

The key is:
"I will make it a top priority to restore the value of the federal minimum wage, bringing it up to at least its 1968 level"

Reference that to the first paragraph and that is 8.50, in 2003 mind you. Rises each year.


Dennis speaks for the PEOPLE and not the corporatists and their CEOs.

TWL

[Loren645]

24. Good for Kucinich. I bet Kennedy didn't have to tell him how Dems vote.

Great man.

[diamondsoul]

23. Kicking for leadership. n/t

[xultar]

25. Clark wants to raise it to $7.50, where is it now? n/t