Bush Supports Raising Minimum Wage...

[Frodo]

...with certain conditions, of course, though I am wagering that he will sign any minimum wage bill that comes out of the coming Congress regardless, whether it has the conditions he wants or not:

Bush Supports Democrats' Minimum Wage Hike Plan

By Michael A. Fletcher and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 21, 2006; Page A14

President Bush for the first time endorsed a specific plan for raising the federal minimum wage yesterday, as he embraced Democratic calls to boost it by $2.10, to $7.25 an hour, over two years.

The president's backing greatly enhances the prospects for congressional approval next year of the first hike in the federal minimum wage since 1997. He stressed, however, that it should be accompanied by tax breaks and regulatory relief that would cushion the blow for small businesses.
   
"I believe we should do it in a way that does not punish the millions of small businesses that are creating most of the new jobs in our country," Bush said during a news conference. "So I support pairing it with targeted tax and regulatory relief to help these small businesses stay competitive and to help keep our economy growing."

The president's endorsement of a minimum wage increase breaks with the position long held by conservative Republicans that the increase would hurt business and ultimately the economy. But with the Democrats poised to take control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in more than a decade, Bush cited his support of the proposed increase as proof of his intent to operate in a more bipartisan manner during the remaining two years of his presidency.

[Gabu]

That's rather a surprise, albeit not an unpleasant one.

[© tweed]

I want the Dems in congress to pass a minimum wage bill that is aimed at getting a veto out of Bush.  If he vetoes any minimum wage raise that looks real, real bad and that should be the goal.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Raise it to above 7.50 to have it be where it would be if it kept up with inflation.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Where was this six months ago..... *sigh*.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Where was this six months ago..... *sigh*.

Stop being a GOPer

[KEmperor]

I want the Dems in congress to pass a minimum wage bill that is aimed at getting a veto out of Bush.  If he vetoes any minimum wage raise that looks real, real bad and that should be the goal.

Nice to see that you put politics ahead of passing legislation.

[adam]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

[Moooooo]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

Selling who out?

[adam]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

Selling who out?

The fiscal conservatives. At least that's the impression I got out of this...perhaps I missed something.

[Moooooo]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

Selling who out?

The fiscal conservatives. At least that's the impression I got out of this...perhaps I missed something.

Since when did George LBJ Bush care about the fiscal conservatives?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If I was Pelosi or Reid, I would just ignore this pathetic excuse for a President, and pass the best bills I could, and see if Mr. Lame Duck signs them.

[Deano963]

What's truly hilarious about this is that Bush for some reason thinks he even HAS bargaining power in respect to the coming minimum wage increase.

 The Democrats have more than enough votes to get the bill they want passed, without any of his silly "regulatory relief" crap, in both the House and Senate. Then if Bush vetos it, he not only hurts himself severely and helps the Democrats immensely, but he also strengthens the case for the country to elect a Democratic President in 2008. Bush will show his party to be the party of obstruction to policies that the public overwhelmingly approves of.

Of course, I hope he signs the bill. But if he dosen't, look for a minimum wage increase to be on every state ballot in the country in '08, which will only hurt Republicans just as it did in '06.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Since when did George LBJ Bush care about the fiscal conservatives?

Well, if you mean people who care about the deficit, obviously never. This article mentions new tax cuts that he's proposing.

[adam]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

Selling who out?

The fiscal conservatives. At least that's the impression I got out of this...perhaps I missed something.

Since when did George LBJ Bush care about the fiscal conservatives?

A rather good question, come to think about it. However, at least he used to pretend to kiss our ass...he isn't even trying these days.

[TheresNoMoney]

The Dems need to pass a no-strings attached bill that will raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.

[bullmoose88]

So, ole' George is selling out to avoid conflict eh? Somehow, I am really not suprised.

Selling who out?

The fiscal conservatives. At least that's the impression I got out of this...perhaps I missed something.

Since when did George LBJ Bush care about the fiscal conservatives?

Nick, are you criticizing the greatest Democratic president of the last half of the 20th century?

What does this have to do with fiscal conservatism anyhow?

It's stupid to oppose a reasonable increase in the minimum wage.  The Reps should have passed it in the last congress.

Politically yes. But price floors suck. Ah well not like Bush was a fiscal conservative anyways.

Oh well...time to welcome my automated walmart overlords. (Those automated registers are far superior to a real person.)

But democrats...shouldn't this make you nervous? Bush is kind of like King Midas, everything he touches turns to sh**t.

[MaC]

Anyone who fails to pay their employees 7.25 an hour (regardless of the business at hand or ability to pay employees) should be shot in the face.  You guys always said Bush is a fascist-you're right.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

But democrats...shouldn't this make you nervous? Bush is kind of like King Midas, everything he touches turns to sh**t.

Mr. Lame Duck is just desperate for another tax cut, that's he said this. The Democrats should give him directions off of a bridge to nowhere.

[bullmoose88]

But democrats...shouldn't this make you nervous? Bush is kind of like King Midas, everything he touches turns to sh**t.

Mr. Lame Duck is just desperate for another tax cut, that's he said this. The Democrats should give him directions off of a bridge to nowhere.

We don't need another tax cut yet either. Unless the economy starts to tank, at which point, yeah viable option but not necessarily the best one.

[bullmoose88]

Politically yes. But price floors suck. Ah well not like Bush was a fiscal conservative anyways.

Oh well...time to welcome my automated walmart overlords. (Those automated registers are far superior to a real person.)

But democrats...shouldn't this make you nervous? Bush is kind of like King Midas, everything he touches turns to sh**t.

Practically speaking, this isn't much of a floor.  The minimum wage now is so low that it's well below market level even for low-skilled jobs.  In all honesty, I don't think an increase will have much practical effect.

its only going to exacerbate/accelerate the trend towards automation. I assume you've started to see the automated check outs.

So what your wal marts/supermarket...any business going to try to do is to get:

Wage per hour new min wage x total hours employed new min wage x number of workers new min wage

to roughly equal

Wage per hour 2006 x total hours employed 2006 x number of workers 2006

The only way that seems to happen is lowering the number of workers or hiring them for less hours.

Yes Yes...I know you know this. I'm not sure everyone else does.

[bullmoose88]

I realize as long as people are required to perform some functions...people are generally superior to automation...your average walmart isn't going to be able to cut enough jobs to bring its employment costs back to old numbers...but its gonna try to get close...

So those who stay employed are better off,  just not so sure what happens to those who get cut.

[bullmoose88]

Politically yes. But price floors suck. Ah well not like Bush was a fiscal conservative anyways.

Oh well...time to welcome my automated walmart overlords. (Those automated registers are far superior to a real person.)

But democrats...shouldn't this make you nervous? Bush is kind of like King Midas, everything he touches turns to sh**t.

Practically speaking, this isn't much of a floor.  The minimum wage now is so low that it's well below market level even for low-skilled jobs.  In all honesty, I don't think an increase will have much practical effect.

its only going to exacerbate/accelerate the trend towards automation. I assume you've started to see the automated check outs.

So what your wal marts/supermarket...any business going to try to do is to get:

Wage per hour new min wage x total hours employed new min wage x number of workers new min wage

to roughly equal

Wage per hour 2006 x total hours employed 2006 x number of workers 2006

The only way that seems to happen is lowering the number of workers or hiring them for less hours.

Yes Yes...I know you know this. I'm not sure everyone else does.

A lot of other people don't know this.

But the reality is that it's going to happen anyway.  Stores around here have to pay well above minimum wage anyway to get anybody to work there, so the issue already exists.  Increases in the minimum wage will only accelerate this process beyond where it's already going if they are extreme.

Well the intentions are good, and often it does have some benefits in the immediate term, but only for those getting the wage hike.

Unfortunately, many people don't see the inherent/negatives dangers...and that goes for any policy...rarely is a policy initative a no lose situation...but for those getting fired, or not getting a wage hike...they lose...one hopes not enough to notice.

[Storebought]

The only effect raising the min. wage from (I believe) 5.15 an hour to 7.25, or higher, is to throw the current lowest-wage physical-labor workers into unemployment -- and replaced with a newer cadre of illegal immigrants who will work for 4 dollars an hour.

As mentioned before, the lowest-paid service workers will just be automated out of a job.

[opebo]

As mentioned before, the lowest-paid service workers will just be automated out of a job.

So what?  Just create a generous dole.