Sunday, January 07, 2007
The Dems' case for a higher Minimum Wage
Our very own Steny Hoyer, newly-minted (despite Speaker Pelosi’s best efforts) House Majority Leader, on Fox News Sunday today discussing the proposed minimum wage:
“HOYER: We'll see. We're going to pass the minimum wage through the House...
HUME: Clean?
HOYER: Clean. We believe it ought to be passed clean. It is, I think, a national...
HUME: He won't accept it that way, though.
HOYER: Well, we'll see. We believe it's a national scandal that the lowest rung of workers in America have not gotten a raise in 10 years. It's the longest time in the history of minimum wage that we haven't raised it.” FOXNews.com - Transcript: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on 'FNS'
Does Congressman Hoyer believe there are a significant number of workers who have been toiling for the Minimum Wage for 10 years? Hell, I don’t believe there are even an insignificant number of such workers. Isn’t it more likely that people start at the Minimum Wage and as they gain more experience and skills, they ascend the pay chart? If there truly are workers who have been consistently plodding along at a Minimum Wage job for the past ten years, I suspect there are other more relevant factors than just congressional inaction to explain their lack of economic success.
“HOYER: We'll see. We're going to pass the minimum wage through the House...
HUME: Clean?
HOYER: Clean. We believe it ought to be passed clean. It is, I think, a national...
HUME: He won't accept it that way, though.
HOYER: Well, we'll see. We believe it's a national scandal that the lowest rung of workers in America have not gotten a raise in 10 years. It's the longest time in the history of minimum wage that we haven't raised it.” FOXNews.com - Transcript: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on 'FNS'
Does Congressman Hoyer believe there are a significant number of workers who have been toiling for the Minimum Wage for 10 years? Hell, I don’t believe there are even an insignificant number of such workers. Isn’t it more likely that people start at the Minimum Wage and as they gain more experience and skills, they ascend the pay chart? If there truly are workers who have been consistently plodding along at a Minimum Wage job for the past ten years, I suspect there are other more relevant factors than just congressional inaction to explain their lack of economic success.
