The Banana Split Senate
The Banana Split SenateSenate Poised to Pass Minimum Wage Bill
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By JIM KUHNHENN Associated Press Writer
February 01,2007 | WASHINGTON -- As the Senate moved toward passage of the first increase in the minimum wage in 10 years, Democrats in the House and Senate were trying to reconcile differences between their two bills.
After more than a week of debate, senators planned to vote Thursday on raising the federal wage floor from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. The legislation also contains $8.3 billion in short-term tax benefits for small businesses.
COMMENT
America wants a vanilla minimum wage bill like the one that passed the House. But no, the Senate Republicans had to add business tax savings on it. I would call a few minor changes as cherry vanilla, but no, the Senate Republicans added $8.3 billion in short term tax benefits for small business.
Ten years is long enough to hold hostage the estimated 15 million workers who are affected by the minimum wage. It is indecent to make them wait even a day longer for an increase. These people will still be at poverty levels. It will slightly improve there lives. Everyone know that the House increase is a half measure in that for the minimum wage to have the spending power of the 1960's it should be raised to at least $10.00 per hour. But it is better than nothing. It is a crass game the Senate Republicans are playing.
Our Canadian neighbors are working to increase their minimum wage to $10.00 in Canadian money. It is a lot better bill for the Canadians than our bill is for Americans.
The banana split Senate version of the minimum wage bill is almost a poison pill to kill the minimum wage. What do the Senate Republicans want to do? Do they want to show they still have power? Do they want to show how mean and nasty they are? Do they want to lose their jobs during the next time they face election? Are they sadists enjoying delaying the first increase to the federal minimum wage in 10 years? Are they trying to delay increasing the minimum wage for 11 or more years?
I think we need a set of playing cards with all of the banana split Republican Senators on them so we can identify them easily. We should have their email and mailing addresses so we can send them written commentary of what we think about their activities to hold back the minimum wage. We need to single them out so we can vote for whoever is against them during the next election or at least send a few dollars t whoever is against them. Remember the playing cards tht were distributed during the attack of Iraq of the bad guys that Bush II wanted to find? Same thing to identify the Republican Senate rats.
posted by God Bless America - Bob @ 12:48 PM
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