Monday, January 15, 2007
MLK Day - Minimum Wage Update #2
Unaware of His Dream
Speaking of which,
No one has yet claimed any of the amounts outlined in the Minimum Wage Contest. There are a few bites and some people who are emailing with plans to ask their friends and relatives if they know anyone who earns the minimum wage as outlined.
As one comment on the original post outlined:
Of course it's impossible to raise a family on the minimum wage. That's why NO ONE DOES! They get a raise...or work harder...or move on to a better job...mostly without the benefit of a pompous politician "fighting for them." So why are we constantly reminded how beneficial it is to "working families" to raise the minimum wage?
Other emails:
In a recent survey of college students on U.S. civic literacy, more than 81 percent knew that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was expressing hope for "racial justice and brotherhood" in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.Thank goodness we're working on increasing the minimum wage...
Most of the rest surveyed thought King was advocating the abolition of slavery.
Speaking of which,
No one has yet claimed any of the amounts outlined in the Minimum Wage Contest. There are a few bites and some people who are emailing with plans to ask their friends and relatives if they know anyone who earns the minimum wage as outlined.
As one comment on the original post outlined:
Why the "sole" breadwinner stuff? So two people working on the minimum wage disqualifies them? Dude you will find NO ONE to match your criteria because it's not possible to support at minimum THREE people on a minimum wage job. Your requirements are so surreal (a sole breadwinner supporting a spouse and a child) on a minimum wage job - you are nuts. You won't find anyone because it's not possible to live on it. You might find both parents working though.Then claim the prize. A better question would be: Then why the raise in the minimum wage? As rule #9 clearly allows, find a family where both parents/partners earn the minimum wage to support at least one child. The reason for "sole breadwinners" is because that's who Mike Gronstal and other supporters say this minimum wage increase is for.
"As a nurse, I've seen many families talk about how raising a family on the minimum wage of $5.15 is next to impossible," said Mike Glynn, a Des Moines nurse and member of the Service Employees International Union.
Gronstal: ...BUT ABSOLUTELY, THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS, WE THINK, IS TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF 125,000 IOWANS THAT MAKE MINIMUM WAGE. SEVENTY PERCENT OF THEM ARE BREAD WINNERS FOR THEIR FAMILIES.70% of 125,000 is 87,500 (the numbers keep changing the longer the debate goes on), so there must be way more than 1 that meet the criteria.
Of course it's impossible to raise a family on the minimum wage. That's why NO ONE DOES! They get a raise...or work harder...or move on to a better job...mostly without the benefit of a pompous politician "fighting for them." So why are we constantly reminded how beneficial it is to "working families" to raise the minimum wage?
Other emails:
Greg. I read your post about the minimum wage. I can't look for someone to qualify. I have a job and a family to support.
-Rhonda
I'm sorry I usually don't do this but: that's just about the worst thing I've seen on the internet. A contest to find someone working the minimum wage. Bush is dragging the economy in the toilet and you want to make money off of it.
-Brian R.
Greg. I know where at least 3000 minimum wage earners are. Try Iraq. Sorry. Bush killed them. Try again.
-Pat
Greg. I got the link from a friend of mine. Good luck on the search. The newspapers seem to find them all the time. Check the police log.
-Kevin
Labels: minimum wage, mlk
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