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cynatnite

(31,011 posts) Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:08 AM Jun 2012

House Democrats Propose Increasing Minimum Wage To $10

A group of House Democrats have proposed increasing the minimum wage to $10, which, as Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) pointed out would allow the wage to “catch up” with where it would be had it been allowed to grow with inflation:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and 17 House Democrats, including several Congressional Black Caucus members, proposed legislation Wednesday that would increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour.

Jackson said his bill, the Catching Up to 1968 Act, is needed to give low-income workers a way to “catch up” to inflation, which continues to eat away at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. He also said it would give these workers more income and boost overall demand for the struggling economy.

The minimum wage hit its peak buying power in 1968; to have the same buying power today, the minimum wage would have to be $9.92. If the minimum wage had been indexed to the Consumer Price Index since 1968, it would be approximately $10.40 today.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/06/07/496003/house-dems-10-minimum-wage/

9 replies

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Highlight:

House Democrats Propose Increasing Minimum Wage To $10 (Original Post) cynatnite Jun 2012 OP

I'm all for it but it's got no chance. Blaspherian Jun 2012 #1

Maybe not..... Wounded Bear Jun 2012 #2

True PatSeg Jun 2012 #5

No, no, if Democrats want to steal a few votes from the right, the should abolish the minimum wage.. Scuba Jun 2012 #3

Screw that. Abolish the minimum wage and bring back child labor and slavery. HopeHoops Jun 2012 #4

fuck no - they should authorize datasuspect Jun 2012 #6

Why not just link it to the price of gas? Let the D's in the House propose that ALA it is Vincardog Jun 2012 #7

$12 is even too little .... Europe is at $18 Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #8

Get STATE mw hikes on the November ballot in VA FL OH PA IA NC ProgressiveEconomist Jun 2012 #9

Blaspherian

(94 posts)

1. I'm all for it but it's got no chance.

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:12 AM

Jun 2012

Wounded Bear

(58,670 posts)

2. Maybe not.....

Reply to Blaspherian (Reply #1)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:15 AM

Jun 2012

but it's about time Democrats started acting like Democrats and proposing-at least-some progressive ideas.

Maybe we can get the Repubs to "compromise" on $9.00. But, of course, increases in the minimum wage increase revenues to the Gen fund and Social security, so they don't like them.

PatSeg

(47,501 posts)

5. True

Reply to Blaspherian (Reply #1)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:49 AM

Jun 2012

but it creates a record for all the things the Democrats want to do for the country and how the republicans blocked those efforts.

Welcome to DU!

Scuba

(53,475 posts)

3. No, no, if Democrats want to steal a few votes from the right, the should abolish the minimum wage..

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:26 AM

Jun 2012

On the other hand, if they want to attract millions of votes from the currently disaffected, this is on the money (no pun intended).

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)

4. Screw that. Abolish the minimum wage and bring back child labor and slavery.

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:46 AM

Jun 2012

D'OH! Sorry, channeled a Republican there.

datasuspect

(26,591 posts)

6. fuck no - they should authorize

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 12:07 PM

Jun 2012

The Uhhhmerican Patriotic Blood Lust Bootstrap Act to Return Wages to 1899.

poor people already get enough cadillacs and gold plated pasteurized processed cheese food product.

how will this shit affect the golf industry for fuck's sake?

won't anyone think of the golfers?

Vincardog

(20,234 posts)

7. Why not just link it to the price of gas? Let the D's in the House propose that ALA it is

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 01:34 PM

Jun 2012

not going to happen anyway.

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)

8. $12 is even too little .... Europe is at $18

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 01:41 PM

Jun 2012

but they have health care and higher taxes.

Ten sounds good but is really not

if you look at the historical data.

ProgressiveEconomist

(5,818 posts)

9. Get STATE mw hikes on the November ballot in VA FL OH PA IA NC

Reply to cynatnite (Original post)

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 02:11 PM

Jun 2012

and the other toss-up states. It has proven Democratic coat-tails, just as Republican initiatives scapegoating immigrants or the LGBT community have proven Republican coattails.

Right idea, wrong venue. Where possible, such state minimum wage ballot initiatives could tip the electoral balance back to our side. Minimum wage cash IMO is a more powerful election factor than even Voter ID.

Six states had such minimum wage ballot initiatives in 2006 (see, for example, http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20061029/NEWS/610290327 ) and Missouri may have one this year (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/missouri-minimum-wage-ballot-measure-signatures_n_1499542.html ).

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