They Did What? Outrage over Senators Who Voted to Repeal the Minimum Wage

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/01/26/they-did-what-outrage-over-senators-who-voted-to-repeal-the-minimum-wage/

They Did What? Outrage over Senators Who Voted to Repeal the Minimum Wage

by Tula Connell, Jan 26, 2007

It’s bad enough the Senate is twiddling and diddling over literally dozens of amendments some lawmakers want to add to a bill that would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over two years. House lawmakers earlier this month, with no similar hesitation or amendment-adding, passed a clean bill to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.

But when 28 senators voted Wednesday to repeal the minimum wage entirely, many across the country expressed outrage. As a commenter said on The Carpetbagger Report, which was among several blogs to cover the issue:

Suddenly they’re for state’s rights again. Impeach all 28.

Bob Geiger has the full list of senators who voted for the bill here. Meanwhile, Think Progress rebuts the myths some in the Senate are using as excuses for not passing a clean minimum wage bill.

AFL-CIO Now readers also are weighing in with their outrage. As Shirley Vargas puts it:

The union members should boycott every raise that is given to Senators and Congressmen….We should not endorse any raises and should boycott raises given to politicians. It is not right considering they are not willing to give an increase in minimum wage.

The unions should boycott their wages.

Patrick Riley, Sheet Metal Workers counsel, notes:

You should note that of the five states without a state minimum wage law, the Senators from Alabama and Louisiana, two of those states, voted “Nay” and one of the Senators from Tennessee also voted “Nay.” So half of the Senators from those five states voted “Nay.” It is interesting that the states represented by the “Yea” votes are all states in my opinion where the cost of living is already low as compared to the states represented by most of the “Nay” votes, and those Senators want to keep their low living standard that way, i.e. What’s the matter with Kansas?

Meanwhile, Frank Hagan is taking action through the AFL-CIO Working Families Network to send senators a message to pass a clean minimum wage bill:

Both my Senators, Boxer and Feinstein are for it. Instead, I e-mailed Republicans: Brownback and Lott—asked them to work on their fellow R’s to pass it without “poison pills.” Of course I am a Democrat, but it’s the R’s who are filibustering!

[AX10]

1. What about those around here who are singing the praises...

of Chuck Hagel??? Hagel is an SOB. He is a right wing kook. He is no hero. Just because we agree on one issue (it still has to do with the 2008 election), does not make him a Saint!!!

There are just a few of them, but still, how can any DUer sing the praises of Hagel?

[cadmium]

3. I always keep a person's basic

ideology in mind when out of the norm they suddenly agree with me on a particular issue -- like hagel on Iraq. Hagel is a real financial conservative and as we all know a voting machine company owner before winning his senate seat. Pat Buchanan is completely against the Iraq war but otherwise he is a rightwinger (he has some populist leanings-but with rightwing sentiment). Sorry to compare the two since I think Hagel seems like a more decent person but the point is it is usually a mistake to idolize a politician - especially over a single issue.

[notadmblnd]

2. somebody here had a pretty good idea earlier....

they said the Dems. should withdrawl the bill and attach it as an amendment to the Iraq spending bill that will be coming up.

[cadmium]

4. good point. nt

[Bjornsdotter]

5. Oooo, deliciously evil

....I love it! :evilgrin:

Cheers

[cosmik debris]

6. This doesn't make sense to me

"The union members should boycott every raise that is given to Senators and Congressmen….We should not endorse any raises and should boycott raises given to politicians. It is not right considering they are not willing to give an increase in minimum wage.

The unions should boycott their wages."

How do you boycott someone else's raise?