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POLITICS & COMMUNITY

4/25-5/1: Should Congress Raise the Minimum Wage?

Bob Dole, in the Senate, and the GOP leaders in the House have refused to schedule a vote for a minimum wage increase (from $4.25 to $5.15 an hour). What is your opinion on the issue? Do we need a need a minimum wage increase? Why or why not? What role should Congress play in the regulation of wages?

DJGONZA: Absolutely NOT! What an absurd idea. What we need in this country is LESS government, not more. I urge Congress to vote NO on the minimum wage increase. You see, right or wrong, businesses will try to protect their profit margins when and if this is enacted. They'll do so by either raising prices, or firing people, or both. This will hurt the very people that the liberals claim to be helping, those in entry-level positions.

JackM: No. Wage control should not be the province of the goverment. However, surviving decently on a minimum wage is next to impossible. If congress truly wants to help people on the low end of the financial scale, they will create a fair and equitable tax system. Thereby allowing people a chance to use their money as they deem necessary, rather than fund the all to many "feel good" programs and ridiculously expensive projects that may create jobs for those working well above the minimum wage, but do little to help those for whom the program is supposedly intended. Furthermore, unions have long waged the wage battle on behalf of the american worker, their history is not "sterling", but let them do their job; not the goverment.

AlexisM: I believe that the minimum wage should have been raised a long time ago. There are people out here that are trying to take care of themselves and families on wages below the provety level. Those people in Congress can give Corporations millions of dollars without blinking an eye, but when it comes to the people that helped vote them into office, they tell us that we don't have the money for it. They are so full of shit. But we are the same people that they target to get their asses right back on Capitol Hill.

jbeidler: Minimum wage shouldn't be a full time job. Well, how selfish of those full-time workers who don't know better! Guess what, there are a lot of hard- working people who don't have a choice. Many of them are not teenagers or retirees looking for extra cash, but adults who are trying to support a family. I find it hard to believe that employers are going to fire employees just because the minimum wage goes up 90�. If they have more workers than they need, they will fire them anyway.

Cassandra: Not everyone in this country is fortunate enough to have a college education. I propose raising the minimum wage to $10. an hour. I'll bet everyone reading this with their degrees and their mom and dad who help them out and the single, selfish lives are saying "she's nuts". I have worked since I was 15 years old from necessity not choice, so has my husband. We both make over the minimum wage, however that is still less than $10 an hour. Why is it unheard of in this country for a person who works 40 hours a week performing a job that a college graduate would not lower themselves to perform, has to live a substandard lifestyle. $20k a year is not an exhorbitant amount of money, but it would get alot of single parents off of welfare, enable poor kids to go to college, improve the lifestyle for the majority of people in America. And the fat cat at the top of this pyramidial society would still make out okay, because the lower class would be able to consume more of his products. This is America.

pringlel: Yes there is a need to raise minimum wage. Simply because the cost of living has increased. $4.25 won't even get you in the movies! The cost of living is too high! There needs to be something that balances it out. There should be some sort of standard that says when the cost of living raises to such a level that the minimum wage will increase also.

Nicole_S: Yes. I think it is rediculous that the USA has a minimum wage of $4.25 The minimum wage for me (a 19yr old console operator) here in Australia is $13.24 an hour and I find that hard enough to live on.

gregorylloyd: No way!! The federal government has no business telling American business how much they are required to pay an employee. That should be determined by the market rather than some liberal democrat!!! All of this crap about let GOP try to raise a family on $4.25 per hour. I would like for anyone to tell me who they know is trying to raise a family on $4.25 per hour....no one. The minimum wage is an entry-level job and very very few people are trying to raise families on it. However, there are a number of highschool kids trying to pay for their weekends with that wage!! Anyway, Washington, stay out of our lives--let the market do its job, don't you try to do it too. Also, the Republicans are now pandering to this issue. They need to stick to their guns and not cave.

gregorylloyd: We do not need a minimum wage increase, or a minimum wage for that matter. The fedral government has no business telling American business how much they are required to pay an employee. That should be determined by the market.

kward93: Yes, it should be increased. I've read that at its current level, some economists say that raising the minimum wage would have no effect on the number of jobs (even though a decrease in the number of jobs is the usual economic argument against a minimum wage). And there are plenty of people out there who are trying to make a living at $4.25/h, and they aren't in 'temporary' jobs. Frankly, I roll my eyes when I hear that the GOP alternative is a tax credit. How is that supposed to help those who don't earn enough to pay much in taxes to begin with? While we're at it, how about a maximum compensation law for executives?

Josekaz: Rasing the minimum wage would be regressive because the low paying jobs like the fast food outlets would die off if they had to pay higher wages. Then where would all the university graduates work.

arkansas: Do we or do we not believe in the free market? If we don't then get it over with and have a centrally planned economy like the old Soviet Union. If we do believe in it then LEAVE IT ALONE! Enough of this election year bone tossing.

vette: Yes, the minimum wage should be increased especially with the rise in the cost of living. Along with a minimum wage increase, the federal government should lower taxes for the lowest wage earners in the country. Providing individuals with the means to support their families will remove the huge burden on welfare.

Crespo: Of course we need a raise in the minimum wage. Let the GOP leaders go out there and try to make a living on $4.25 an hour. In fact, our minimum wage should be closer to $6.00 an hour. In order for people who are unemployed to have an incentive to go out and get the minimum wage jobs, and feel as though they can manage on their own, we have to get our minimum wage to fit with our economy. If our so called leaders in the Senate and the House refuse to vote on the wage increase put it in Congress. Better yet, give it to the "working" class people out there busting their buns for $4.25 and let them vote.

LaurieTheGreat1: I think that the minimum wage should be increased. We need an increase because things cos a lot more, than ever, and there are a lot of people that have trouble making ends meet with the current minimum. Congress should regualte wages, by possilby taking the average of what non-skilled workers make, and compare it to the avreage price of certain requirements for living. For example, food (bread, milk, meat), rent, and possilby gas, or transportaion in general.

69POWER69: I think that they should have been raised because people that work for min.wage work hard as hell for what we are getting payed and its not fair to us.

Rubine: YES!!! $4.25 used to buy a lot more. If the price of the things we MUST buy, ie- gas, food, housing is increasing, why shouldn't minimum wage? Don't you idiot politicians realize this? That is one of the many reasons why we need younger individuals holding high positions in the government.

jimallen: Yeah they should raise the minimum wage. That way when all these retired people go out to get a job, just to get out of the house, they will have to be paid as much as the younger people that are trying to make a living. Just think when all the baby boomers get up to retirement age. They won't have quite enough money to get by, or they might want something to do to get out of the house. So they get a little job. Only that means there is one less job for someone trying to make a living. And that person has to pay half his salary to all these boomers on Social Security, because that's about to go broke. So if the minimum wage is abut $20, then everyone will have to really work. It won't be no easy retirement job. In fact there probably won't be as many jobs, cause no one could start a small business and pay those kind of wages. Just think what a hamburger will cost at McDonalds when all those employees are making $20 an hour.

jasond: I think they should raise the minumum wage because I work at minumum wage. I could use some more money.

JeremyD: I think it should be raised but not as much as they want to raise it. For the past 3 years I have had summer part time jobs that payed 4.25, and they suck. Now that I am the boss and make a bit more, I still think it sucks I have been saving for three years to go to school on 4.25 an hour. All of that money went to pay for my first year. If I wasn't for the scholarships and loans, I would be unable to goto school any more I think that an increase of 90 cents is a little much. 25-50 cents should be what they want to raise it to. If they raise it by 90 cents every one will want a raise. In fact if I don't get one, than I will quit my job and get one which is less stressfull and still pays about the same.

Shazam420: YES. Don't tell me about how it will raise prices. Don't tell me how jobs will be lost. All that needs to be clear is that the _average_ executive salary is MORE THAN 100 TIMES the salary of the peons that actually MAKE that money for the companies for which they work. There is an irrefutable discreapancy here. The working class is being led back into slavery by the corp-centric american government.

Ace_of_Spades: No, it should not be raised. The overall effect this increase would have would be an increase in taxes for all Americans. Most people would end up paying more rather than receiving more. The increase in wages would most likely only be felt by people with temporary or entry-level jobs which would be very unstable.

baydolph: I think the mimume wage should go up as today's price's are getting higher and were making much less than we can buy and pay for even the price of car's has gone out of this world.. Congress should have us vote on a new wage for them and for us, as it seems congress is making their wages.. So that they be come richer and payless taxes. I also think that if they go to jail they loss their pay from the government

KChapman: No, don't raise it. It will only raise the prices on everything.

DreamSeeker: I am annoyed that some people think the only people on minimum wage are students, illegal aliens, and obvious losers. If you do not have an education you do not have much choice. And if you have even one child, you have even less of a choice. An average single person can probably live on $4.25. But no one who has to pay for daycare can. Daycare will take $100 of that $170 (before taxes). Raising the minimum wage would help a lot of people struggling to get by. I would rather work than be on welfare, but if it comes down to the fact that work will not pay for a home a food, then welfare is the other option. If you have never lived homeless or been a single parent without an education, you couldn't possibly understand the realities of a minimum wage paycheck. I finally made it to college, as a single mom, and am making it, but I couldn't do it without a LOT of help. Financial aid and student loans.

eagle2: Contrary to what you may have heard (or read) by pseudo-economists, the increase in the minimum wage (cost of labor) will not reduce its demand. This is indeed fuzzy headed thinking. People not having spendable income WILL reduce demand for labor. Also, it has nothing to do with gov't funding or your taxation. It will, however, slightly add to the wage-price spiral. We need more velocity in the system. More spendable income equals more velocity. This is what keeps a system healthy.

JackofSpades: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO Minimum wage is much too high already. Yes, the cost of living is going up but why need a minum wage at about $5.15 an hour? Minimum wage shouldn't be a full time job. It Should be a part-time job that a person doesn't plan to stay at for a long time

dumb: There are more people trying to live on minimum wages then you can ever imagine, yes the workers need to at least be able to meet expenses, if you have looked at rent,electricity,food just the bare essentils, you can't make it, it wont help what congress does they have their fingers in enough of our lives. If you asked anyone of the congress to live on minimum wages there would not be a one that could do it, what would they do without their chauffer?? Let us live I realize that the wages are out there but not all of us are allowed the same opportunity but at least let us Americans live, not help other countries until we can help outselves.

FiveCats: If cost of living continues to increase; if housing prices continue to incease; if food and gas prices continue to increase along will most all other consumer products and commodities then why the hubbub about raising the minimum wage? When I was making a little over $1.00 an hour ( in the old days) I seemed to be able to afford more than kids who make $5.00 an hour today. Not only that but families ( both mother and father working) who are trying to raise a family when they are just making minimum or just above minimum wage is very sad in such a wealthy country as the U.S. I believe the minimum wage should be closer to $9.00 an hour and should go up each time cost of living goes up. I am sorry for the small businesses who will have to absorb much of the burden if the minumum wage is raised, however I believe that the small businesses should get a substantial tax break if they were to subscibe to raising the minimum wage for their employees.

Heatherish: Hi, I live in New Brunswick, Canada... minimum wage here was recently raised from 5.00/hr to 5.50/hr. This has effectively wiped out many of the jobs for students over the summer. I am a university student who has been laid off from my job because there is just not enough money to pay people that much an hour... I would vote no, don't raise the minimum wage. It's not going to give students a break by making them more money, it cause some people to lose their jobs as well.

Arif: Yes, we do need an increase.

RandyB: I am always amazed by those who argue that it will cost jobs because employers will lay off there least productive employees. Any good business person would only keep the mininum he needed anyway.

Cheyanne: Raise It! I am always amazed how people miss the main point of an issue by, attacking each other, ie; democrats vs. republicans, when the REAL issue is that the Government wants the Power! There is NO power in poverty!. Have you checked out just how many people are Below the poverty level? I can tell you its at a higher wage level, much higher, than minimum. People can hardly take exception to the Government abuse, if all their time is spent on how to survive and raise a family on such pathetic salaries! Poverty is a curse, which runs downhill into our schools, children, and family structure. It destroys hope, creativity, and life. The Government is the one out of control, and out of line. Why in the hell should someone making an exorbitant salary tell you or I how much money we need to live on?

rsutter: Absolutely not. The market should determine wages. Pure supply and demand. Congress should stay completely out.

Fats_Waller: At least you've got a minimum wage (I'm English)

TheWiz: No Way!!! The problem with the minimum wage is socialism. The constitution gives the federal government specific powers. The minimum wage is not listed. The market place will take care of wages without a doubt. Now, I'm just a dumb ole' country boy, but i do believe that education and negotation is the answer.

jsprankl: I believe this issue is 2 sided,with the needs of the American people needing more money in their pockets to sustain their way of life;and on the other side the small businesses that can't afford to give their employees any more than what they're paying them now,which in turn forces them to lay off employees instead of paying them more. I can see both sides-I personally believe that the cost of living is going to continue to climb;and sooner or later minimum wage will have to increase to some extent.

stuff: Minimum wage should be raised. More and more college kids are trying to pay portions of their education. It is so difficult to do so on 4.25 an hour. There are many high school kids trying to live independently on that amount, and it is not enough. There needs to be some sort of increase. Jobs that pay minimum wage, such as teenage clothing retail or fast food restaurants, are practicing slave labor on the amount minimum wage is now.

Locksley: Minimum wage increases don't just benefit those who are currently on minimum wage. It raises the standard of living for everyone, adding higher pay and bonuses to those, if only through adding money back into the economy. Absolutely, raise the bloody thing.

Klein: Absolutely not. No raise, in fact get rid of of the whole thing. No minimum wage. Even if raising the minimum wage wouldn't hurt the poorest and least able the most, and even if it wouldn't destroy jobs and companies, even if the minimum wage actually did help people I would say do not raise it! Here's why: It is not the governments legitimate role to be involved in the regulation of wages or any other facet of economy. Governments only purpose is to protect individual rights, that is to protect people from the initiation of force against them. A low wage is not a violation of someone's rights, it is not an initiation of force. Let an employee and employer negotiate a wage that both find acceptable.

katmar: more or less split the difference: raise to nice round number: $4.75

telarium: This is in my response from the other day. I agree that congree should put some minimum wage but lets get real here. There are people out there who are cheating the system, which is causing inflation. If you do the math you will see that $4.25 and hour for 40 hours comes out to $170 bucks a week. I know that is tight, but hey, at least you can get food and shelter? Can't you? Maybe $8,840 isn't enough? What is this world coming to?

M.S.: Raise the minimum wage!! Simple working people (especially students and other young people) live lives of quiet desperation in a vain attempt to MEET EXPENSES!!! C'mon... give em a break!

GregFielder: Congrats to the Republicans in the House and Senator Dole for having some backbone on this issue! If a minimun wage increase is so important, why didn't the Democrats pass one in the two years when they had control of both the Congress and the Presidency? A minimum-wage increase is simply another unfunded government mandate which will require employers to pay for their misguided, fuzzy-headed policy. An increase in the cost of ANY commodity (including labor) will REDUCE ITS DEMAND. This is basic economics, and you can't get around it. An increase in the minimum wage will simply result in fewer jobs, hurting those people who the Democrats say they want to help. This is an election-year boondoggle by the Democratic party, and that's all. If it was truly important, they would have raised it before now.

Mr_Ed: NO! People are not supposed to be supporting families on minimum wage!

mattperl: Yes, we do, but if we make an increase, we should CUT some welfare. I would like an increase, it would help people support themselves, and live better.

Firefighter: Yes we do need an increase, you can't live on 4.25 an hour!!!!

mabourn: No. We should not raise the minimum wage. Anyone who believes that this will not cost entry level jobs has not taken a serious look at the math. A person working 40 hours a week is in fact working 2080 hours a year. A $1 increase in the minimum wage would cost a small business with 10 employees over 20,000 per year. This is without allowing for the extra money the government would get.

Bobbyh1: Currently the only people working for the minimum wage are students and illigal alians . Raising the minimum wage will only eliminate the jobs to students If someone is here illigally we as country should not be helping them.

genxezine: According to my Economics Prof. in college, the minimum wage is only moved to a higher wage, when the real minimum wage (the low average amount of pay in the US) is higher than the old amount. >From what I've seen, most businesses have settled at giving only $4.25. Is this fair? Hell no! $4.25 at 40hrs a week leaves you... Broke! Your still at the same level as someone who doesn't work. A legal poper. And they can collect Welfare. To the posts I've seen about not raising the minimum wage, I have to say that you must have never worked before. You have some very Democrate like views. "Let the people be supported by the government." Well, I know that is not a real way to go. I've been there, and it sux.

dmcook: I believe that, since the cost of living is increasing, a higher minimum wage is in order. Admittedly, I am not well-versed in economics, but it would seem to me that if people have more money to spend, the economy would flourish. Isn't that what we're supposed to do to boost the economy, spend money? I'm all for it. Give me a minimum wage job that I cn actually support myself on, and I'll buy American till I'm blue in the face.

telarium: As far as I am concerned many busnesses are paging more than the minimum wage. For example, McDonalds will pay $6.50 and hour. Heck that about 2 bucks more than the minimum wage! People should take advantages of jobs. I really feel sorry for the busness leaders, because they are the one's who are gonna have to pay!

tca: Let's be serious here. If an employer has to pay $4.25 for labor worth $2.00, they're going to work that laborer a lot harder-- and not hire a second. No doubt those "second" people are teenagers and the elderly, minorities, women, disabled, and other undesirables. Just another example of the rat race the Left runs with their solutions to societal problems.

GrandAdmiralPetry: A quarter century ago, minimum wage was $2.12/hour ... since then inflation has raised prices and costs-of-living by a factor more than ten ... since then the cheap and subsidized things of barely living, like milk, have tripled in price ... but minimum wage has barely doubled. Slavery was abolished a century ago: let us make minimum pay $7-10/hour, maximum 20hours/week; and minimum wage $10/hour.

DFletcher: Some people would pay shit to poor people that know no better. A minimum should be set for them.

Billzebub: I think that this raising of the minimum wage will only hurt those it pretends to help. I grew up in a small town and I remember being in high school when it was raised to $4.25. You couldn't find a peeon job anywhere in the county. What's more it'll only raise the cost of cheap goods made by the cheap labor. Oh, yeah, and most workers on minimum wage are middle-class high school students living at home.

morvius: It is really pathetic that a country that spends billions of dollars on weaponry every year can't get off it's collective @$$ and pay people a decent wage.

sangar: NO! If raise a salary and the price of the product goes up. even the person earning a large salary wage has to go up to keem him ahead of the lower paid person by the same percent.

dmitriy: How about setting up both minimum and maximum wage at $100.00 an hour?

Dickj: It is clear that government should have a role in the fair equalization of wages. Left up to the good-hearted care employers foist on those who have less is pitted with inequity. What would happen if there were no regulation -- slavery, child labor, gender, and race exploitation would return with a vengence! The company store is alive and well.