Sam Smith - Joe Manchin of West Virginia would go along with a $11 minimum wage, which would be about a fifty percent increase in the current level - not as good as doubling it to $15 but in a screwed up Washington, clearly better than nothing. Why is no one discussing this? Are politicians so busy proving how righteous they are that old style political compromises have been forgotten?
2 comments:
We needed a $15 an hour minimum wage nearly a decade ago. Manchin appears to want something like the republican plan that would take an inadequate wage and tie it to inflation, leaving people in deep poverty permanently.
For example Josh Halley wants to do an $10 dollar and hour minimum wage over 5 years, but his own state has already raised the minimum to $11. All these lower wage plans are largely symbolic for a majority of states have already raised their minimum above that $10 threshold, or will do so long before 2025.
For a compromise, then do things like make large corporations pay the raise first then after a couple of months implement it for all. Give assistance to help smaller businesses for the first year, so the wider economy has adjusted to the new wage, before small business support is gradually withdrawn.
Biden is a complete idiot for not sticking with his campaign promise to raise the minimum wage. He was stupid to make his initial plan to take 5 years to get to $15, doing it in 4 years would have been electoral gold. Bernie is the only one who has a realistic plan. All Biden is doing is handing the Congress in 2022 and the White House in 2024 back to Republicans. I'm furious with this theater for failure that endlessly plays out in DC.
I agree, it is a great time to see if both parties can actually come to an agreement on something.
I would suggest that the Dems could agree to a floor of say $12 now for everyone; while agreeing that there should be a system in future to have locally adjusted minimum wages elsewhere. California already has $14, and some CA cities are higher e.g. San Francisco is over $16. I'd imagine people would be better off with $12 in many places as opposed to $16 in San Francisco. So if the Progressives who run San Francisco are willing to accept $16 there, and $14 in CA generally, they should be willing to accept a much lower number in the shithole counties and shithole states.
The Dems should also be willing to accept a lower number if they can put in place a cost of living increase.
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