| The reality of the situation
The Democrats' majority in the House is wide enough that they can ram bills through without pulling Republicans over. And not only is their majority bigger than in the Senate, but the House doesn't allow filibusters. Also, House Democrats wrote a rule that didn't allow any amendments.
The situation is starkly different in the closely divided Senate, where you need 60 votes to pass just about anything controversial. I'm not a mathlete, but that means we need to get nine Republicans to come with us on the wage increase.
Would Max prefer to pass the wage increase by itself? Yes, absolutely, but the votes just are not there. That's likely why every Democrat on the Finance Committee went for the small business tax package, including D Sens. Rockefeller, Conrad, John Kerry, Lincoln, Wyden, Schumer, Stabenow, Cantwell, and Salazar.
Max worked hard to craft this package with both Republicans and Democrats. And he worked hard to make sure the package won't drive the nation deeper into debt. (Nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation says it's paid for.)
Now, a story by Congress Daily (subscription) raises the question as to whether this small business package jeopardizes the wage increase procedurally. (It doesn't because we need to get to 60 either way.) But, notice what Sen. Kent Conrad, the chamber's budget-hawk-in-chief, said on the matter:
"Conrad, who voted for the small business tax bill in the Finance Committee, said the bill was consistent with the pay/go concept in that the Democrats' pledge to impose budget controls has erected hurdles to increasing the deficit.
"That's essentially what pay/go is supposed to do. You can still pass it if you get a super majority," he said, noting that the small business bill is still completely offset over the next decade. "Pay/go is only one part of restoring fiscal discipline. It doesn't solve the complete picture."
Budget points of order not withstanding, we need 60 votes regardless of whether or not the tax package is included.
You think the Republicans are going to let a "clean" minimum wage bill pass the Senate? It ain't gonna happen.
Aside from the politics and legislative procedures, why shouldn't we help small businesses in Montana and on Main Streets across the country when we get the chance?
Truth is Montana is a small business state. Our economy in large part is driven by small businesses such as restaurants, sporting goods stores, gift shops, small manufacturers, Java joints, et cetera. So much so, that 97 percent of all the jobs in Montana come from small businesses.
Consider the following:
-In 2003, 97.7% of all businesses in Montana were considered small businesses.
-In 2003, employer businesses numbered 33,991
-The number of self-employed in 2003 totaled 61,726
-Women-owned businesses represented 67% of the state's small businesses in 2002.
- In 2003, self-employed women totaled 38.2% of self-employed workers in the state.
-Minority-owned businesses represented 3.6% of the state's businesses and generated $400 million in revenues in 1997.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of the Census; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration; U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Government Contracting, Updated December 2003, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 2004.
One of the provisions in Max's tax package extends WOTC, the Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides incentives for people to hire folks who have trouble finding jobs - people who've been on welfare, for example. Is that a bad thing?
The other point that chafes a little is the notion that Max somehow doesn't support the minimum wage increase, which is total bullshit. You'd have to be huffing Scotchguard off your sleeve to suggest such a thing, given Max's long history of supporting wage increases. Here's what he said yesterday:
"To call a minimum wage increase `overdue' is the understatement of the year. It's high time our workers get a raise. At the same time we are going to give a boost to small businesses."
So, again, the question is do you want to actually raise the minimum wage or simply make political statements?
We want to raise the minimum wage, at long last. |
