Senate Defeats Minimum Wage Increase

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - The Senate defeated dueling proposals Monday to raise the $5.15-an-hour minimum wage — one backed by organized labor, the other salted with pro-business provisions — in a day of skirmishing that reflected Republican gains in last fall's elections.



Both plans fell well short of the 60 votes needed to advance, and signaled that prospects for raising the federal wage floor, unchanged since 1996, are remote during the current two-year Congress.


"I believe that anyone who works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year should not live in poverty in the richest country in the world," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., arguing for the Democratic proposal to increase the minimum wage by $2.10 over the next 26 months.

...

Kennedy accused Republicans of advancing a "deeper poverty agenda" for the poor by including several provisions to cut long-standing wage and overtime protections for millions of Americans. He took particular aim at Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., a conservative who is atop the Democratic target list for 2006 and the lead supporter of the GOP minimum wage alternative.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050308/ap_on_go_co/minimum_wage

[LynnTheDem]

2. YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

WOOOOHOOOO we beat bush AGAIN!!!!

YEEEEHAW!!!!

Edit: For those who don't know, Santorum included a poison bill in that min wage increase; while the increase would help 1.2 million workers, it also EXEMPTS any business with revenues of $1 million or less from ANY REGULATIONS.

Ie it LEGALIZES SWEATSHOPS for 6.8 million workers; they would have NO MINIMUM WAGE protection AT ALL.

[physioex]

3. What are you celebrating?

There is no hike in minimum wage.....

[expatriot]

5. methinks she took too many of the 'happy pills' n/t

[Rose Siding]

6. Santorum's amend. failed, too and that's good news

It would have scuttled the 40 hr week for lots of people and made it legal for those working on tips to be paid less than min wage or even nothing at all.

[physioex]

19. I don't get it....

Are we at a point where we are celebrating keeping the benefits we enjoy........


Truly Sad.

[LynnTheDem]

24. It was a TROJAN HORSE. A POISON BILL.

IF that bill had passed, some 1.2 million Americans would have had a $1.10 increase in min wage.

BUT 6.8 MILLION AMERICANS would have LOST ALL MIN WAGE PROTECTION.

In other words, that bill was LEGALIZING SWEATSHOPS.

I am sorry the 1.2 million won't get that $1.10 increase...but compared to 6.8 million LOSING ALL PROTECTION???

Hell yes I am cheering the failure of this TROJAN HORSE bill. Why aren't you?

[physioex]

26. Sorry I'm in a ditzy mood...

And slow to understand today..... :hi:

[LynnTheDem]

28. No problem, I know those kinda days very well, myself, lol!

I shoulda said details in my OP in the first place, I was just so DANG HAPPY that I didn't stop to think that not everyone has so little life as to sit & actually read every bill the damn rethugs try to slip past us, LOL!

[pie]

56. very good information

now I don't feel so bad

[LynnTheDem]

64. We block em all we can from destroying everything, about all we can do

right now, but it's an important thing to do.

We'll get things put right, just hang in there! :)

[DBoon]

37. Its a "war is peace, freedom is slavery" bill

the effects are the ooposite of what it is called

[JerseygirlCT]

55. Not to mention the end of overtime pay

[nolabels]

59. A lot of laws were written to take the steam out of the union movements

I am sure overtime pay was one of them. I work under a union contract that stipulates overtime pay. Things like that make the whims of legislation null and void. It would be a hard sell in any case.

I have worked for shit wages before and could do it again if that was process required to oust all of them Corporatist who are masquerading as congress people

[Mnemosyne]

39. In Pa. waitresses don't get near minimum wage, but get taxed

as if they were earning it, whether tips make up difference or not. Highest paying waitress job in this small city? is about $2.50 an hour. How disgusting is that? Believe I am correct, but if anyone knows better...

[livinginphotographs]

44. Same way in VA.

I've seen kids in high school who work as waiters making $13 paychecks for a week of work.

One note about the South, though: Waffle House here in Virginia starts of at around $7 an hour, which is almost unheard of for waitstaff.

[Mnemosyne]

50. That is disgusting! And what are kids supposed

to take in college to get "good" jobs?!! All decent jobs are disappearing overseas.

I detest this government.

[HeeBGBz]

45. I work on tips and make $2.55 an hour.

Which is after I got a raise from $2.30. When I first started serving 35 years ago, I made $1.10. That's a cost of living increase of $1.20 in 35 years. Woo hoo!

I make $3 an hour when I work breakfast. I have to pay tax on at least 10% of my sales whether I make that money in tips or not, or risk the IRS claiming I make more.

I detest the snobs, the fundies, the clueless who withhold their pittance because I didn't kiss their ass enough or give them something for nothing. I don't take their shit anymore. They KNOW when they've pissed me off.

[Mnemosyne]

49. I worked at the country club last, and the highest pay for serving

in town for $2.30 an hour in 1984. now it's $2.50, wheeee!! Those as*wipes acted as if you didn't exist most of the time. I heard one of them state "I love to go to the shop (her husband owns plastic co.) and watch the peons work." She's a "pillar" of the community, honored all the time in paper. It makes me want to puke!

I can't afford to go out often, but tip like crazy when I do, unless server acts like total as*.

[merwin]

11. Yes, but that was tacked on to the bankruptcy bill. If the minimum wage

part had been tacked on, the bankruptcy bill would almost surely pass.

Yes, we want minimum wage raised... but that's not how we want it done. That would be one step forward, 10 steps back.

[Rose Siding]

16. No, the bankruptcy bill will pass anyway.

The minimum wage as the dems introduced it never had a chance.

The advantange (in addition to Santorum's defeat) is political- dems line up with what most everyone in the country knows is a good idea.

[physioex]

20. Ok....

I understand...Thank You.

[LynnTheDem]

12. That was a POISON BILL, people! WAKE UP!

It would have removed ALL MIN WAGE PROTECTION for some 6.8 MILLION AMERICANS and only increased the min wage for 1.2 million.

THANK GOD IT FAILED!!!!!!

[ProgressiveConn]

21. But there is no cut in who is eligible for minimum wage either.

Which was part of Sanitorum's bill.

We're the minority party ATM. Our job is to prevent bad things from going through and by keeping manondog's amendment out is a good thing.

[DebJ]

23. This is a real reason to celebrate. And will help us take ol Ricky

DOWN next year!

[expatriot]

4. ummm.... care to explain your exuberance? n/t

[NVMojo]

10. maybe he or she is a small business owner?

or someone paying attention !!!! WOW!!!! Those sneaky sons of beeches!!!

[LynnTheDem]

17. LOL!!! Hey you, I read your original remark!

:P :P :P

:D

[LynnTheDem]

15. POISON. BILL.

This is as low as it goes, as the GOP fights to expand sub-minimum wage sweatshops across the country. Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum is leading the charge for a GOP bill that would ostensibly raise the minimum wage by $1.10 per hour, but in reality would cut wages for millions of American workers and expand unregulated sweatshops across the country.

As this Economic Policy Institute analysis details, the bill is a trojan horse for assaulting workers rights.

Licensing Sweatshops: While a $1.10 per hour minimum wage increase by itself would help 1.8 million workers, Santorum includes a poison bill exempting any business with revenues of $1 million or less from regulation -- raising the exemption from the current $500,000 level.

The upshot: while 1.2 million workers could qualify for a minimum wage increase, another 6.8 million workers, who work in companies with revenues between $500,000 and $1,000,000 per year, would lose their current minimum wage protection.

6.8 MILLION AMERICANS would lose ALL MIN WAGE PROTECTION. It would LEGALIZE sweatshops.

NOW ya see why I am so HAPPY THIS FAILED!!!

Edit: link to Economic Policy Institute analysis

Santorum Offers Trojan Horse for Workers

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2005/03/050304-Minimum_Wage.pdf

[0007]

8. Duh?

[LynnTheDem]

27. Trojan Horse...poison bill...

http://www.nathannewman.org/laborblog/archive/002263.shtml

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2005/03/050304-Minimum_Wage.pdf

This is why the rightwingnuts get duped and tricked and conned all the time. Ya gotta read the entire bill when it's the tricky cheating nasty rethugs, guys!

[0007]

43. I watched Santorum introduce his bill on c-span and had to

shut off the tilly. This man made me sick. I'm sure Santorum is not human.

[Divernan]

31. It's called a "poison pill", not poison bill

and refers to an often obscure clause or subparagraph or even a formal definition of a term included in a larger bill, which "pill" destroys or reverses the apparent overall intent of the bill.
I used to draft legislation and can't help being a nitpicker about this term.

That said, I too am relieved that Santorum failed in this attempt to screw thousands of workers by removing them from entitlement to minimum wage. Now if we can just remove him from the Senate totally, by electing Bobby Casey, we can all relax and breathe a bit easier.

[LynnTheDem]

36. Current trend in the blogosphere; "poison bill"

"pill" and "bill" combined, I figured. Or one person got it wrong & they're all following, LOL!

[meow2u3]

53. In this case, it's both a poison PILL AND a poison BILL

The poison pill being the provision that would legalize sweatshops; the poison bill being the anti-woman, anti-consumer, anti-American bankruptcy bill itself.

[Misunderestimator]

46. Good point... still bad news though... and now they can claim

that some of the dems did not want a minimum wage increase. It's all ridiculous.... no way to win. Best we can do is pile on our own amendments to their SS pet... which I guess we're busy doing pretty well.

[DixieSticks]

63. Don't celibrate ...

... criminals win again.

[EVDebs]

7. Republican employers would rather continue hiring immigrants and pay them

a substandard minimum wage along with any native-borns who are a part of the vast 'underclass' this country is creating. In a teardrop shaped economy with the concentration of wealth being with the Bush 'base' of top 1 and 1/2% of taxpayers (those making more than $3 million/yr) those with the most $ get what THEY want, not what this country needs.

NATION’S IMMIGRANTS ACCOUNT FOR BULK OF LABOR FORCE GROWTH SINCE 2000 WHILE NATIVE-BORN WORKERS EXPERIENCE HEAVY DECLINES
http://www.nupr.neu.edu/01-04/immigration_jan.html

I say legalize them all AND pass a minimum wage increase AND punish those who hire illegal immigrants. I can dream can't I ?

[Skip Intro]

9. I do too, Ted!

"I believe that anyone who works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year should not live in poverty in the richest country in the world,"

Most peole in America do.

(Except maybe the fake Christians.)

[spikesmom]

40. Rick Santorum Shouldn't Be A Senator

He doesn't represent "the people"! He is fecal scum!

[bpilgrim]

13. but the BANKRUPTCY bill will sail through

bet

Bankruptcy bill is Congress' shame
By Dave Zweifel
March 7, 2005
The Republican-dominated Congress is on the verge of changing the nation's bankruptcy laws to make it easier for the hugely profitable credit card companies to get their money back and more at the expense of the nation's poor.

The big banking interests have been trying - and failing - for the past four congressional sessions to make it more difficult for financially beleaguered Americans to file for bankruptcy, tipping the balance in favor of the nation's big financial interests.

This time, though, the legislation is all but assured of passage in both houses, thanks to gains made by Republicans in the 2004 elections. Wisconsin is playing a role in the debate. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, who represents silk-stocking suburban Milwaukee and has long been a toady of special business interests, not surprisingly is leading the charge in the House.

The "reform" is ostensibly needed to counter those who are abusing the current system by running up large debts and then wiping them out, leaving banks and credit card companies high and dry...

more...
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=31106&ntpid=1

peace

[DebJ]

14. But at least the vote was 46 for, 48 against, and Specter said

that he would have supported it but he was out of town. That means at least some Republicans did vote for it.

[Rose Siding]

18. That's because it's politically popular- they'd let as many

repubs as they could vote for it, as long as it doesn't pass.

[renaissanceguy]

51. This will be a GOOD issue to use in 2006.

How can a man talk about "family values" if he isn't willing to let people support their families? Bye-bye Santorum.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14741193

[Divernan]

35. Woulda, coulda, shoulda - Specter knew how close this was

and boogied out of town - perhaps on orders from Bush and Santorum, who actively campaigned for Specter in Pennsylvania to convince the many conservative Rs to vote for him and damn well expect payback on important bills like this.
Both sides would have been counting their votes on this bill VERY meticulously before either bill was called up for a vote. If only 94 voted, and the Dem bill was defeated, sounds like there were probably 6 Republican senators who were allowed by their leadership to skip the vote to save face with their constituency.

Why does Specter claim to have had to go out of town so conveniently?

[GetTheRightVote]

22. When are the poor and low payers going to get a break in the USA ??

:kick:

[LynnTheDem]

25. When the rethugs are out of the government.

Bigger Q is; when will Americans realize this.

[Selatius]

29. When corporatism is defeated and removed from the entire gov't

These guys are more than happy to be playing both sides of the political aisle. The answer is to remove them, period.

[VegasWolf]

30. Is it academic? Are there any states whose minimum hourly wage is

less than the feds?

[hatrack]

32. Kansas - $2.65 last time I looked

I'm not making this up or speaking to you from a rip in the time-space continuum.

No, actually, I am, since I'm discussing Kansas. :evilgrin:

[expatriot]

33. yes.... believe it or not Kansas's is 2.60

[expatriot]

34. here is a list of state minimum wages...

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/minimumwage/staterates.cfm

Wow... 3 states (WA, OR and IL) have inflation adjusted minimum wage rates that increase every Jan 1st!

[djack23]

47. Notch one more for IL

[renaissanceguy]

52. I think the fed. minimum wage would trump states'

minimum wage laws.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.16884083

[nolabels]

60. So much for the republican mantra of "States Rights"

What was that joke about Flipper they like tell :shrug:

To answer the question, he is alive and well in congress
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1183648/posts

[RoyGBiv]

38. Thank Gopod ...

I was afraid of this news and almost wanting to avoid reading about it. I am so thankful this fell into the toilet.

[lovuian]

41. Well the Senators who are rich can give themselves a pay hike

but not the minimum wage earner!!! This country is truly screwed up!!!

[MrPrax]

42. 5.15 times 40 equals 206 Gross

Must be nice... 824 dollars a month...gross...

Ted IS a commie pinko berating the the world's greatest superpower!

Maybe the Dems should put the damage up to 6.45/hr...

[Ilsa]

48. That provision for an option for employees to work

up to 80 hours over two weeks without OT pay protection would hurt nurses. Alot of hospitals using 12 hour shifts have nurses working 36 hours one week and 44 the next. But the nurses count on that extra four hours of OT for the little things as it can add up to another $50 per pay period. I'm sure Gov. Gropenator would approve.

[Robert Oak]

54. Minimum wage proposal denied

The Senate voted down both Republican and Democratic efforts Monday to tack a minimum wage hike onto bankruptcy legislation, as Republicans kept up their push to keep the bill free of most amendments.


The heart of the legislation is a means test that would determine if people filing bankruptcy to wipe away their debts earn enough to pay down the bill. Filers found to have the means to pay would be forced into repayment plans rather than having their assets liquidated to repay creditors.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/08/news/economy/wage_bill.reut/

====================
Republican efforts to basically enable waiters to not be paid anything
besides tips...

the usual.

But, this piece of bought and paid for by the credit card companies
legislation is going to pass. Time to write your representatives, esp. if they are Republican.

[GOPBasher]

57. It's so easy to cut taxes for billionaires, so hard to increase min. wage.

[rodeodance]

58. Minimum-Wage Hike Defeated

Minimum-Wage Hike Defeated

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-wage8mar08,1,4756891.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=3&cset=true


March 8, 2005



By Mary Curtius, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Republicans on Monday defeated another in a series of Democratic attempts to alter legislation aimed at toughening bankruptcy laws, voting down a proposal to attach a minimum-wage hike to the bill.

An amendment offered by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) would have raised the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. It was defeated, 49-46.

[napi21]

61. Minimum Wage bill denied!

I don't have a link yet, but just saw the flash across the tv screen at cspan that the minimum wage increase was denied!

SOB's. They don't have a problem letting their own increases go through do they!

[Meeker Morgan]

"Minimum Wage bill denied!"

Part of the problem was piggy-backing it on the bankruptcy bill.

Minimum wage is a tough sell anyway, but that killed it from the beginning.

The usual legislative posturing. :mad:

[classics]

Same bill?

Is this the same 'minimum wage increase' that included removing the minimum wage all together from many worker, reducing them corporate slaves?

[librechik]

there they go, celebrating Christian Republican compassion again

how many more useless giveaways to the poor will Jesus force them to trounce before he is satisfied with their contrition? How many more will suffer before they surrender to Our Lord's Greater Plan? Why do they not sacrifice their children (as the Bible recommends) if they cannot feed them? Why do the blasphemous poor demand Christ's help from the Congress?

ehh--too much sarcasm even for me.

The GOP ought to be ashamed, but of course, they are proud of their penny pinching ways, and unaware (apparently) of the insult to they are handing to CHRIST.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

We don't need a wage increase

Everything here is peachy. NOW GO WORK BOTH YOUR JOBS!

[n2mark]

This is sad

I'll remember them when election day is here again. They gave themselves fat raises but forget the voters though. I just can't understand how people can live on $5.15 and hour, I just don't.
Most of the minimum wage jobs don't offer medical insurance either. If they do have insurance and pay for daycare, there is nothing left. Yet, shrub wants to cut the budget on food stamps, housing etc.

It is time to vote every senator and congressmen/women out of office who oppose the working person.

I am so furious. This administration hates everyone who is not rich.

[fudge stripe cookays]

I thought that was "All 3 of your jobs" !

It's the American way, after all!

[fudge stripe cookays]

Actually, I thought I heard...

that there were ulterior motives behind this "great minimum wage bill."

That it would raise the minimum wage, but essentially make the companies involved LESS accountable to unions, benefits, outsourcing, etc.

I think this is actually a good thing. On edit: looks like classics and I heard the same thing (see his post #2).

FSC

[Warpy]

They never give a working person a damned thing

without taking ten times as much back in the fine print.

I don't trust a damned thing any Repuglican ever does. They don't have the interest of the American people, the working class, the middle class, or anybody but themselves and the rich at heart.

[fudge stripe cookays]

Well said.

And every bit is true.

FSC

[beyurslf]

They said on NPR this morning that the increase in a Senator's pay since

the last minimm wage increase has been nearly $30,000--about 3 times what someone on minimum wage earns in a year.

[lebkuchen]

corporate control of the govt

fascism

[n2mark]

The pukes have no shame!

[jackster]

1. there were two bills in the Senate

one sponsored by Santorum and one sponsored by Kennedy -

go to these sites to check out roll call votes

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/index.asp

[woodsprite]

62. Yeah! How much of a raise did they give themselves this year? n/t