Republicans Filibuster Minimum Wage Increase

It is time (4.00 / 1)

"We cannot allow a minority to grab the Senate by the throat and hold it there." ~ Sen. Mike Mansfield

This really is a sad state of affairs. The Republicans are trying to hold the Senate hostage for billions of dollars. The time to raise the minimum wage is long overdue. For 10 years there have been countless times when taxes have been cut or subsidies have been offered for these buisnesses. There has been a whole decade of preperation for a raise to the minimum wage. There doesn't need to be any incentive now except for that it is the right thing to do.

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by: Mathello @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 at 21:14:17 PM UTC

Stuck in the Mud (0.00 / 0)

Hah.  I love it.  And if you dont favor a hike, according to Mr. Singer, you definately "hate poor people."  Sorry, but Im not joining the Hugo Chavez fan club today. 

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by: Atlas1 @ Wed Jan 24, 2007 at 23:46:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Didn't we have a logic lesson on another thread? (0.00 / 0)

And if you dont [sic] favor a hike, according to Mr. Singer, you definately [sic] "hate poor people."

No, what I imply is, if you hate poor people, you don't favor the hike.

That also means that if you don't favor a hike, it may be because you hate poor people, but not definitely.

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by: Matt Singer @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 00:04:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

cry me a river (0.00 / 0)

Im still all laughs.  If you favor a hike then you MAY hate the food business, the agriculture business, the restraunt business and the retail business.  Additionally, you (who are not at the minimum) may just want to pay more for everything just so you can feel good that the folks at Wal-Mart are earning a few extra bucks to stock shelves and bag groceries. 

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by: Atlas1 @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 01:20:52 AM UTC

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Why not? (0.00 / 0)

Why not feel good about helping people who stock shelves or bag groceries earn more? I heard somewhere that about 30,000 Montanans are making minimum wage. So when this state passed I-151 with 285,000 votes I'm inclined to think that there are a fair amount of people who don't have a problem with helping out others. God forbid that anyone think about somebody else.

And if 85% of this country believes that the minimum wage is too low and support an increase then why shouldn't Congress act upon it? Riddle me that.

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by: Mathello @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 03:26:30 AM UTC

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Action then reaction (0.00 / 0)

How much is bagging groceries really worth . . . ?
Riddle me that, because many stores now have automatic checkers, which leads me to believe that its a job that a machine can do. 

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by: Atlas1 @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 04:19:26 AM UTC

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I'm curious (0.00 / 0)

What do you think Senate Democrats could have done to get this through clean? Certainly looks impossible to me.

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by: Chris O. @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 01:02:05 AM UTC

Not caved before the first vote (4.00 / 1)

Made Republicans have a choice -- minimum wage up or down. They'd have to live with killing it. Bring it back up in three weeks. Make them vote on it. If need be, after a couple votes, talk to some of their folks facing tough elections in '08 and some of their potential Presidentials, cut a smaller deal to let them save face, move on.

Max threw in the towel before the opening bell.

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by: Matt Singer @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 01:13:27 AM UTC

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And bragged about it. (0.00 / 0)

I should add.

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by: Matt Singer @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 01:13:40 AM UTC

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Might have worked (0.00 / 0)

I'm a bit skeptical about picking off enough Repubs to break a filibuster, especially with McConnell leading them. What I'm most interested in at this point is how many tax breaks can be stripped back out during committee negotiations.

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by: Chris O. @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 03:08:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Take a look at how it's paid for... (0.00 / 0)

No, I'm not interested in saying "see, we were right" after today's vote. But I would like to take a look for a moment at how Max's tax package is paid for: closing tax loopholes on big business. 

In general, the offsets found by Max and the Finance Committee staff would close big corporate tax loopholes to raise $8 billion over ten years.

One of those loopholes includes so-called deferred executive compensation, which is taxspeak for executives who hide millions in retirement accounts.

When the provision passed, Max told the Washington Post:

Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said limiting the accounts is a declaration that "more Americans should be treated equally."

"For the vast, vast majority of families, there's a limit on deferred compensation that's not taxed of about $15,000" a year, Baucus said, referring to the sum ordinary people can put in a 401(k) plan. "I just think the general rule should apply to all Americans, even the very highly compensated executives." Limiting their annual deferral to $1 million "is not an unfair burden," he said.

Max is also taking aim at offshore tax havens that big corporations have used to skirt the tax code, accounting practices known as Sale-in/Lease-out, or SILO. This provision alone would raise more than $4 billion over the next ten years.

So what we've done is craft a package that cracks down on big business to provide help for small business, including tax credits for small businesses that hire hard-to-employ workers, increased deductions for improving buildings, and measures to help small businesses simplify their bookkeeping.

Speaking of 'the store,' we've heard from a bunch of Montana small business owners who want Congress to pass this tax package. One of those was the owner of Walter's IGA & ACE of Sheridan, Montana. They have about 15 employees and serve a community of about 700.

(Barrett works for Max Baucus)

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by: Barrett Kaiser @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 01:17:34 AM UTC

A Little Taste... (0.00 / 0)

Ironic how the masters of the modern "filibuster", the Democrats, are getting a taste of their own medicine. 

I see the minimum wage debate in this simple quote "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime"

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by: Andy B. Hammond @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 21:58:35 PM UTC

I much prefer my version (0.00 / 0)

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Use taxes to build a public fishing school, feed a village for a lifetime.

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by: Matt Singer @ Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 00:42:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

More Teach (0.00 / 0)

I like this one too...

"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to fish, and he will sit in the boat and drink beer all day"

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by: Andy B. Hammond @ Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 22:06:16 PM UTC

Here's my favorite... (0.00 / 0)

"Give a liberal a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a liberal to fish, and he'll eventually forget how and start eating the bait."

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by: squid @ Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 00:18:39 AM UTC

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