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2004-06-21 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by Steve White 2004-06-21 1:02:35 AM|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Inflation is not a concern for Mr. Kerry. It substantially increases the values on his (wife's) multiple million dollar properties and thus his own net worth.

Posted by B 2004-06-21 7:42:47 AM|| 2004-06-21 7:42:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Gee, why not just raise the minimum wage to $25/hr and abolish poverty altogether? Then everybody could afford groceries, housing, transportation, clothing, and medical care! [/sarcasm]

Posted by Dar 2004-06-21 8:52:12 AM|| 2004-06-21 8:52:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Yeah... rich countries like the US can afford squish fig leafs like the "minimum wage". It hasn't been raised in nearly a decade, and is probably due. It won't affect things one way or the other, I don't think, based on the last time they did it - right at the beginning of the Clinton "Long Boom".

In most regions, including my somewhat less impoverished corner of Appalachia, the current minimum wage is a dead letter. Nobody offers or takes true minimum wage work. Last time I looked, starting, dead-end crap work was starting at about 75 cents above the legal minimum. Once you get into the richer ends of the state, we're talking three dollars an hour more.

Posted by Mitch H. 2004-06-21 9:36:50 AM|| [http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2004-06-21 9:36:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 The current minimum wage is 5.15 dollar/hr.
A good site on the history of the minimum wage is at: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth484/minwage.html

Personally, I have been in favor of a two tier minimum wage, with a national level (I think $7 would be reasonable if it was phased in over a few years) and a lower level in counties and parishes with a ten year history of high unemployment and where the elected county official requested a lower level. Of course this is a pretty geeky idea and, as far as I know, I'm the only one who advocates it.

Posted by mhw 2004-06-21 9:53:40 AM|| 2004-06-21 9:53:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 The truth about minimum wage is that it only really effects young workers new to the workforce and otherwise unskilled. If you raise minimum wage it often become easier to not hire someone and work the others a bit harder to cover the difference.

Increased minimum wage means increased unemployment.

Decreased minimum wage means kids may choose not to take the jobs and the employer may have to raise the value to what the job is worth.

Posted by yank 2004-06-21 10:08:42 AM|| [politicaljunky.blogspot.com] 2004-06-21 10:08:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 dar is have purdy good idea but im thinking $27.50 more beter.

Posted by muck4doo 2004-06-21 11:13:18 AM|| [http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/] 2004-06-21 11:13:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 I'll see your $27.50, and raise it to $30.00.

Posted by Chris W. 2004-06-21 11:31:12 AM|| 2004-06-21 11:31:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 To .com:
Some friends and I have got a quote for flying a banner over San Diego If Kerry comes back.We are planning putting this on: FOR/AGAINST KERRY WAFFLES.This will be 7foot high letters and towed by plane for two hours.Input/ideas accepted.One version was a target with the statement:Throw your medals at this !!

Posted by rich woods 2004-06-21 11:47:38 AM|| 2004-06-21 11:47:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Take your monthly housing costs + food + utilities + mandatory auto insurance + medical + incidentals and make a real-life suggestion on what it should be. Unless a person is prepared to work 60-80 hours per week and walk 5-30 miles to work (most people commute a good distance, making a car & insurance a necessity), it is apparent that for many places in the country, anything in the $5.00-7.00 hr range isn't going to cut it. Theories and philosophies are useless in the face of real-life reality.

I sympathize with business owners but also with people who are unable to make ends meet while doing the right thing (working and not taking governmental support).

Posted by jules 187 2004-06-21 11:58:43 AM|| 2004-06-21 11:58:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 ima vote chris w. for prezident! :)

Posted by muck4doo 2004-06-21 12:05:07 PM|| [http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/] 2004-06-21 12:05:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 sorry, but the only people making minimum wage are high-school students, high-school dropouts, the uneducated, the illegals, or the truly unskilled.... tough times, indeed, but nobody's guaranteed a house, a car, etc. - you just might have to share living accomodations, take the bus,etc.

Posted by Frank G 2004-06-21 12:08:35 PM|| 2004-06-21 12:08:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 sell drugs...break into peples houses...where there a will theres a way! :)

Posted by muck4doo 2004-06-21 12:17:58 PM|| [http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/] 2004-06-21 12:17:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Chris, You can buy my vote for $40/hr.....

In truth SKerry is only trying to buy the vote of 18YOs are are just joining the workforce. The fact that raising the MW would lower jobs hardly ever gets mentioned. Some of these people would be literally voting themselves out of a job.

Posted by CrazyFool 2004-06-21 12:32:58 PM|| 2004-06-21 12:32:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 sorry, but the only people making minimum wage are high-school students, high-school dropouts, the uneducated, the illegals, or the truly unskilled.... tough times, indeed, but nobody's guaranteed a house, a car, etc. - you just might have to share living accomodations, take the bus,etc.

mr G those the peopoles that need $32.45 an hour! you a cold cold man

Posted by HalfJustVisiting 2004-06-21 12:37:03 PM|| 2004-06-21 12:37:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 $45

Posted by Chris W. 2004-06-21 12:50:39 PM|| 2004-06-21 12:50:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Frank G.
Yes a substantial portion of the minimum wage labor force is comprised of illegal immigrants.

What that implies is that if we ended or even reduced illigal immigration, wage rates would rise.

Posted by mhw 2004-06-21 1:29:13 PM|| 2004-06-21 1:29:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 The minimum wage is just a baseline cost for employers that props up the wage envelope for employees. I live in somewhat rural Northern California and NOBODY pays minimum wage to the employees. Even the illegals working the fields make better than minimum wage. They (Democrats) act like government needs to dictate wages rather than market values. This is a TOTALLY MADE UP issue that I hope the Republicans expose communists lefty Democrat party for what they are.

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-06-21 1:34:25 PM|| 2004-06-21 1:34:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Although I think the raise is reasonable (if you're going to have a minimum wage, you should at least adjust it to inflation), for Kerry to make this a campaign issue just shows that they are desparate for a platform. Bush should try and cancel it out with a 6.50 increase in 2005 and underscore it by saying it won't cost as many jobs. He really should ask "how does a raise in the min. wage HELP the economy?" or "what happens to the people currently making $7/hr?"

Posted by BigMutha 2004-06-21 1:39:25 PM|| 2004-06-21 1:39:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 As I understand it, the real reason to raise the minimum wage is the number of union jobs set at $X above or Y times the minimum wage. Basically, Kerry's promising unions automatic raises.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-06-21 1:48:15 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com] 2004-06-21 1:48:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Ahhh yes, John F'n Kerry a man of the people

Posted by Frank G 2004-06-21 1:58:36 PM|| 2004-06-21 1:58:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Robert, I think you hit the nail on the head.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2004-06-21 3:28:22 PM|| 2004-06-21 3:28:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 You know what's so "cool" about raising the minimum wage? It's that for a little bitty while people think they're making more money! It's so neat, because by the time pricing has caught up with the wage line, everyone has forgotten all about it. It's the perfect campaign strategy! After the recession starts, Kerry can blame Bush for the bad economy. And people will believe him because he's the one that raised their paycheck, to start.

Question: what do we do about the fact that $7 don't cut it, in terms of trying just live? What about the street?

From the link on post (#20): "He (Kerry) also will rely on scientific leaders and expert advice when making decisions, the campaign said, and will allow stem cells to be researched in full under the appropriate ethical oversight."

"ethical (?) oversight"--oh sure, yeah, that's how it works . . .

With abortion industry profit dollars decreasing, Kerry will do something "good" for his contributors--Planned Parenthood, NARAL, etc. Brought to you by one of the (very) few Senators that voted to support partial birth abortion (D&X) .

What a guy.

Posted by ex-lib 2004-06-21 3:34:37 PM|| 2004-06-21 3:34:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 FYI #22, Stem cell research is not banned in this country. Bush just won't allow any Federal $$$ to be used for the project. There is stem cell research being done by private companies. Care to bet that is will cost WAY less than if the Feds go involved?

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-06-21 6:21:17 PM|| 2004-06-21 6:21:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Cyber Sarge: I have no trouble with stem cell research if conducted without the use of frozen human embryos (human beings). Don't know about government funding of research and the subsequent cost to the consumer. Comment?

Posted by ex-lib 2004-06-21 7:36:01 PM|| 2004-06-21 7:36:01 PM|| Front Page Top

14:18 Robert Crawford
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