2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumO'Malley: Economy will grow with wage hike.
Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley spoke to a crowd of approximately 60 people at the Fairfield Senior Center Saturday afternoon. O'Malley touched on a variety of topics throughout the hour from expanding social security, a clean energy future, college affordability, holding Wall Street accountable and raising the minimum wage to $15.
"We need to raise the minimum wage so that workers can earn more and in turn our economy can grow," said O'Malley.
While O'Malley was Governor of Maryland, he signed legislation in 2014 that raised the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, a raise which is estimated to benefit 450,000 workers. Questions were raised by the crowd and by reporters which questioned the $15 per hour wage but O'Malley said this is a number that would be reached in big cities like Seattle or Los Angeles before rural Iowa because of the cost of living.
O'Malley told reporters, "however, the federal government needs to create a path moving forward so that wages continune to go up for our country rather than down."
Another concern, also discussed earlier in the day at O'Malley's stop at the Indianola Public Library was brought up in Fairfield the lack of debates among the democratic candidates. Earlier this month, leaders of the Democratic National Committee announce plans for six presidential candidate debatesthe first will take place on Oct. 13 in Nevada and the next one on Nov 14 in Des Moines. There is concern both among supporters and O'Malley himself that these debates are too few and far between compared to ten debates lined up for Republicans through March of 2016.
"We need to start debating among ourselves," said O'Malley. "If you want to see more debates contact the DNC and let them know why you think it's important," said O'Malley to a supporter regarding the lack of debate in the party.
"I think it's ridiculous and people I talk to are pretty offended that the DNC would think that its role is to circle the wagons around the so-called inevitable front-runner and limit debates. That's not the way our party works."
http://www.ottumwacourier.com/news/local_news/o-malley-economy-will-grow-with-wage-hike/article_fed07074-4939-11e5-ad0e-57648975260d.html
Andy823
(11,495 posts)Democrats should be debating right now, going after the GOP morons. Trump has been able to do a lot of damage to the other candidates, and it seems that the others are now simply trying to out due the Donald. They are making so many insane remarks, and yet nobody is pointing them out. Democrats have real ideas, and should be debating the issues that face this country. The sooner we can start throwing the BS back at republicans the better. If the DNC really wanted to get things going they would not be waiting till October to have their first debate. Right after labor day is when the debates should start, and they shouldn't try and control the candidates by threatening to ban them from the DNC debates if they debate anywhere else.
While the republicans wast time trying to out crazy Trump, democrats should be discussing what needs to be done to help this country, like the minimum wage, real immigration plans, SS, health care, climate control, etc. Just like we here on DU should be discussing the "real" issues instead of having a mud slinging contest day in and day out and ignoring everything else. Trashing the other candidates is not how to bring the part together, and it will only help republican in the long run come the general election.
elleng
(130,929 posts)but too many Dems (as well as repugs) are more comfortable in the 'bully' mode.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)i intend to start calling them on it
elleng
(130,929 posts)which gave me the word. I'm 100% WITH you!
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Personally I do not think there will be an issues based discussion to be honest, The floggings will continue until the democratic party atomizes I suppose.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)i could cite the papers that support this
Kali
(55,011 posts)am I correct?
Response to Kali (Reply #6)
nadinbrzezinski This message was self-deleted by its author.
elleng
(130,929 posts)I LOVE 'small' local media more and more!
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)kind of a hot issue even locally.
Some of it
http://reportingsandiego.com/2014/11/06/minimum-wage-across-the-country/
http://reportingsandiego.com/2014/06/16/raising-the-minimum-wage-in-san-diego/