Almost a year ago, Hillary supported a minimum wage like NY State passed today

[CreekDog]

The New York minimum wage increase, will be phased in and reach $15 in certain higher cost areas, but will be less in other areas.

She supported just that last year, by supporting today's action, she's not supporting a $15/hour minimum wage nationally, because the measure being celebrated doesn't provide $15/hour even statewide.

While I don't criticize those who disagree with the law or her stand on the issue, her position on it has been consistent.

It's been consistent in the debates, she made her position on it clear a year ago (look at the articles from back then, you'll see the same ideas in her statements then). Look at her website now, it's in line with the New York action.

Disagree with her, that is your right, but she hasn't been dishonest about this position.

From July 2015:

http://observer.com/2015/07/hillary-clinton-backs-new-yorks-15-minimum-wage-for-fast-food-workers/

From her website now:

Raising the minimum wage and strengthening overtime rules. Hillary believes we are long overdue in raising the minimum wage. She has supported raising the federal minimum wage to $12, and believes that we should go further than the federal minimum through state and local efforts, and workers organizing and bargaining for higher wages, such as the Fight for 15 and recent efforts in Los Angeles and New York to raise their minimum wage to $15. She also supports the Obama administration’s expansion of overtime rules to millions more workers.

[Lucinda]

1. Yep. Thanks for this.

[revbones]

2. She supported $12 not $15. She opposed $15. nt

[Recursion]

7. Cuomo also opposes $15

That's why $15 is not statewide

[revbones]

9. So she should be at the signing and get credit??? nt

[Recursion]

12. Since it's exactly the kind of plan she called for, why not?

She wants a $12 national minimum wage with higher minimum wages in localities that can support that. Admittedly NY went $12.50 rather than $12, but I don't really see any substantive difference between her proposal and what the NY legislature just delivered. Do you?

[revbones]

13. She's at the signing for a statewide $15 min wage bill not a $12 one.

“By moving to a $15 statewide minimum wage and enacting the strongest paid family leave policy in the nation, New York is showing the way forward on economic justice,” said Governor Cuomo. “These policies will not only lift up the current generation of low-wage workers and their families, but ensure fairness for future generations and enable them to climb the ladder of opportunity. I am proud to sign these programs into law, because they will ensure a stronger, fairer and brighter future for all New Yorkers.”

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-signs-15-minimum-wage-plan-and-12-week-paid-family-leave-policy-law

[Recursion]

14. No she's not. There is no statewide $15 minimum wage bill in NY

The lowest legal non-farm wage will be $12.50, not $15. Only the richer parts of the state will have the full $15 minimum wage; lots of western NY and Long Island will only go up to $12.50. Which is exactly what Clinton proposes nationwide.

[revbones]

17. You might want to re-read. It's broken up, but they all get to $15 eventually.

And it's pretty sad that some will twist up in knots to give her credit she does not deserve.

[Recursion]

19. They absolutely do not

Read the bill. Parts of western New York and Long Island do not go above $12.50.

[revbones]

21. From the NY governor's site...

$15 Minimum Wage

The state budget includes a historic increase in the minimum wage, ultimately reaching $15 an hour for all workers in all industries across the state.
•For workers in New York City employed by large businesses (those with at least 11 employees), the minimum wage would rise to $11 at the end of 2016, then another $2 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2018.
•For workers in New York City employed by small businesses (those with 10 employees or fewer), the minimum wage would rise to $10.50 by the end of 2016, then another $1.50 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2019.
•For workers in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, the minimum wage would increase to $10 at the end of 2016, then $1 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2021.
•For workers in the rest of the state, the minimum wage would increase to $9.70 at the end of 2016, then another .70 each year after until reaching $12.50 on 12/31/2020 – after which will continue to increase to $15 on an indexed schedule to be set by the Director of the Division of Budget in consultation with the Department of Labor.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-signs-15-minimum-wage-plan-and-12-week-paid-family-leave-policy-law

[Recursion]

26. Don't believe everything politicians say. Read the *actual* law

It goes to $15 in the City in 3 years.

It goes to $15 in Westchester County and Long Island in 6 years.

In the rest of the state it goes to $12.50 in 6 years. Then depending on economic indicators the legislature has "promised" to raise it to $15 under certain conditions, but that's not a statutory trigger.

Indexed increases after it reaches $12.50 upstate in 2022 are at the discretion of the Budget Committee in consultation with the Department of Labor.

[CentralMass]

3. In this campaign she argued against $15 being to high and proposed a phased in $12/hr.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/hillary-clinton-12-minimum-wage_us_55ba7988e4b0b23e3ce1f307
Hillary Clinton Voices Support For $12 Minimum Wage, But Balks At $15
Her hesitance on $15 may displease progressives — but it will relieve businesses that are getting bowled over by minimum wage campaigns."
WASHINGTON — Putting some distance between herself and other Democratic presidential hopefuls, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced support Thursday for a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $12, suggesting that a more ambitious proposal of $15 wouldn’t be realistic on Capitol Hill."

[timmymoff]

4. If she offered them a shit sandwich they would ask for seconds

[CentralMass]

5. +1

[Major Hogwash]

16. Good one.

I totally agree.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. bernie marched with those fast food workers and says $15 min. nationwide

And she said stuff

[Recursion]

8. And New York caved: it's not getting a $15 minimum wage

It's getting a $12.50 minimum wage with $15 in some areas. Which, minus the $0.50 difference, is what Clinton also supports.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. and do you agree with that?

[Recursion]

11. I think $25 is about right for a minimum wage nationwide

I'll support any attempt to raise it closer to that level

[Viva_La_Revolution]

15. then why the hell are you arguing for the side that wants so much less for working people?

[Recursion]

18. Because this is getting incredibly stupid

Sanders and Clinton both call for a minimum wage that is too low; Sanders wants it to be $15 nationwide and Clinton wants it to be $12 at the lowest and vary by locality.

NY passes a minimum wage law (that is still too low and still excludes farm workers) which is $12.50 at the lowest and varies by locality. That is, Clinton's proposal, modulo fifty cents.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

20. and she gets onstage and appears to be taking credit for what she said could not be done

That is what we despise. I can just imagine how many people in the audience felt when she showed up like that.

[Recursion]

23. She hasn't said this can't be done; it's *her own proposal*

OK, it's fifty cents higher than her own proposal, but it's exactly what she's advocating otherwise.

[revbones]

24. Even if that were true, which apparently it is not...

she vigorously opposed anything more than $12.

Even if your statements were accurate and it was even $12 in some places, the bill would then be for $15 in most places in the state, and she'd be claiming credit for the $15 there despite opposing it.

She certainly isn't going to be up there holding a sign saying she was only for $12 to clarify now is she?

It's the same sort of switch she pulled in Nevada when they had signs saying she was for $15 but really wasn't.

[Recursion]

25. If by "vigorously oppose" you mean "advocate"

My God this is like bizarro world: Clinton calls for higher minimum wages than the Federal minimum wage in localities that can support that. FFS this isn't hard, people.

[Recursion]

28. And, anyways, Cuomo's self-serving press release aside, it is true

Any raises above $12.50 outside of the city and Westchester County require action by the budget committee after 2022.

[lovemydog]

22. k & r

Of course I'd love $15. If we can get $12 that's much better than the current federal minimum wage of $7.25. And we'll keep on pushing for $15 and cost of living increases!

[Fumesucker]

27. Not to worry, $12 will be proposed and then negotiated down to $8.50 with the Republicans

Who will then refuse to vote for it anyway.

Pretty much the same pattern as the last eight years.

[DetroitSocialist83]

29. Thanks to the original poster

I am a Sanders supporter 100%, but I believe you are right on this. While I don't agree with her minimum wage policy, it's not so simple to completely dog her proposal. In fact she supports a wage higher than Obama. There is plenty to disagree on without making things more dramatic than they need to be.