• aztrx said on Aug 05, 2006....

  Sounds like a good idea to me.

• LadyGamer said on Aug 05, 2006....

  But that would imply some kind of concern for the common man. Our government officials lost that long ago.

• anonymous said on Aug 05, 2006....

  They should abolish the minimum wage and let the free market determine fair wages.

• hunter_boyce_chandler said on Aug 05, 2006....

  As the Stock Nazi Neal Covuto said today only 1% of the employed people are making minimum wage, therefore the whole issue is a political red herring. I think the Neal Covuto's of the world should be shot and buried in warm compost, then maybe they will be actually productive.

• schreist said on Aug 06, 2006....

  Maybe politicians should only be allowed to make minimum wage...

• yoho said on Aug 06, 2006....

  If we had a free and fair market for labor I would agree to let the market determine min. pay rates. However there is too much "cheating" by employers. Exploiting cheap illegal workers and evading local unemployement taxes and social security by misclassification of employess as independant contractors. The labor market is far from free & fair. Nobody seems to mind congress voting themselves a pay raise. I don't buy trivialising the need with the 1% arguement.... If this is so insignificant then what's the harm, might as well double the minimum wage since so few are affected. Besides from an ethical standpoint doing what is best for 99% of the population without regard for the other 1% is what leads to slavery. Enslaving 1% to serve 99% would be of the most benefit to the 99% at the expense of the other 1%.

• bloc said on Aug 08, 2006....

  @tntbefree "The 1% who earn minimum wage are teans for the most part who just started to work." This is flatly wrong. The truth is that only 32 percent of minimum wage earners are teens ages 16 - 19, according to the Economic Policy Institute's analysis of 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data. ||{1}|| The rest of your comment was equally wrong, but I don't have time to look up proof for the rest of it.

• bloc said on Aug 09, 2006....

  p.s. you shouldn't believe most of what Rush Limbaugh says. He's the one that started this meme that the min wage is mostly teenagers. He lies on a regular basis.

• yoho said on Aug 09, 2006....

  ||{1}||

• anonymous said on Aug 10, 2006....

  People in this country are lazy, basicly they want the most for the least effort. Our politicians make sure they get it, in return they stay in nice comfortable jobs with great retirement packages (which are illegal for the regular joe). So it goes...

• bloc said on Aug 10, 2006....

  If we're so lazy why are we the richest country in the world? Why are most of the leading businesses in this country? Google, microsoft, apple, etc. you can tell i work in the tech industry :)

• yoho said on Aug 11, 2006....

  TNTbefree, IF your statement is true. "Those who do earn min. wages are worth what they get paid." Then it naturally follows that by increasing the minimum wage those workers will be worth more. That could have a huge impact on productivity..... But of course your statement has no basis in fact.

• anonymous said on Aug 13, 2006....

  Reading this on-going conversation is painful. Please stop posting your ignorance as fact. Minimum wages were put in to effect [i]because[/i] the free market would not do so on its own back in the 1930s. Minimum wages decrease the demand for labor (which some argue causes unemployment). Yet, minimum wages allows people to earn more money as opposed to looking to goverment based social programs for handouts. Making politicians earn minimum wage is stupid. If that were to happen, no one worth a damn will want to serve in those positions. You do honestly think that a large crowd of altruistic individuals are waiting in the wings to work for shit pay in a job that is full of bureaucratic nonsense and constituents crying from all directions? You think government is corrupt now? How much lobbying money would you take under the table to feed your kids because you're only making six bucks an hour? etc etc... You want to curb Congressional spending and corruption? Set term limits and internal auditing programs.

• yoho said on Aug 13, 2006....

  anonymous I never suggested congress earn minimum wage but some multiple of minimum wage using a formula. Something like minimum wage x 40hrs x 15 = weekly pay. The multiplier (15 in the example) could have additional adjustments for years of service etc. You can't actually believe the raises they vote themselves are justified based on performance do you? The reality is they need an increase just like everyone else. This includes the lower end of the earning scale. As for your last comment as soon as congress puts the legislation you mention on my desk I will sign it. i appreciate you elevating my status to one who could "set term limits" but last time I checked I was an ordinary citizen who's only power is one vote... to throw the bums out.

• Gemini_41.1 said on Sep 21, 2006....

  You know if congress or any other government entity was making minimum wage, things would change very quickly.
  

• bloc said on Sep 21, 2006....

  i'd be happy just to tie the raises congress gets to the raises in the minimum wage.
  

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