The Mittster

[gough whitlam]

Poor old Mitt has seen the error of his ways and decided agree to the raising of the minimum wage. It has been a point scoring issue for some time now, not to mention how it divided the gophers from those poor wretches. Who wants to associate with poor people? Well it appears Mitt does. He now knows the restriction of the minimum wage increase has cost the GOP dearly. It will be interesting to see the about faces on here as the election draws nearer.

[BA Deere]

Well, Gough I don`t know if the $10.10 minimum wage is a hill worth the Republicans dying on.  It will increase the labor costs to businesses, but on the other hand most jobs pay more than $10/hr.   Then on the other hand, some people aren`t worth $10/hr, they will be layed-off.  Some people making $11/hr and not worth it will go to their boss and say "Hey, I`m barely making over minimum wage!  I want a raise!!!"  ..and they will get fired.   Kids looking for a first job will suffer, most aren`t worth $10 and they are mostly working for the experience...Then you run into "need experience to get a job...need a job to get experience..."  and on and on.  At anyrate, the economy is suffering a death of 1 thousand cuts, whose to say that raising the minimum wage will be the fatal cut?

[gough whitlam]

That is classic rhetoric from the right. The argument has been shovelled around the table for so long. Basically the right want everyone kept poor for exploitation purposes while the left want them to get more so they spend more with economic stimulus as a result. It is a type of economic racism.

This country has the lowest debt of any western society after the GFC. You would not get one worker to work for $10 per hour. It is the stimulus of wages with rises which help keep the economy bubbling along towards surplus, amongst other stimuli.

The argument of the reverse does not add up in your country and never has. There is so much resentment amongst so many when they see perceived unskilled workers enjoying themselves with higher wages. At the same time financial institutions are screaming for stimulus??? Can't you see that?

[r3020]

If you want to creat some good paying jobs approve the keystone pipeline.

[GreaTOne_65]

Good payin' jobs for who? It's not for Americans. Such foolishness.

[kraft-t]

You sound just like herman cain the ceo of godfathers during the clinton minimum wage increase. Business would be a shambles and millions would lose their jobs. They passed the bill and the job creation is history.

Of course you righties credited it to the Reagan tax cuts. Whenever the economy improves you righties always credit itto a tax cut whether it was ten minutes ago or ten years.

[gough whitlam]

When you reference tax cuts don't forget to include the massive tax cuts by bush which preceded the GFC. That created lots of employment ay? Duuuuuuuuh.

[BA Deere]

5% unemployment is considered "full employment", look at the chart when W Bush was in 2006 2007 unemployment was 4.6%!!!!!   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/us-unemployment-rate-history/#21st-century 

0bama has to cook the books to get 6.3%.   But that isn`t even the whole story, we have a record high labor Non-participation rate!  People have given up looking for work and are no longer even counted as "unemployed".  No wonder daytime television ratings with Steve Harvey and all those judge shows are doing so well...peppered with commercials of class action lawsuits of drug companies, payday loans and weight loss products.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ali-meyer/labor-force-participation-rate-25-29-year-olds-hits-record... 

[Taylor ECIL]

Does Austraila have a tiered minimum wage? If so how does it work?

[gough whitlam]

BA Deere Veteran Advisor
7:03 AM
5% unemployment is considered "full employment", look at the chart when W Bush was in 2006 2007 unemployment was 4.6%!!!!! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/us-unemployment-rate-history/#21st-century

0bama has to cook the books to get 6.3%. But that isn`t even the whole story, we have a record high labor Non-participation rate! People have given up looking for work and are no longer even counted as "unemployed". No wonder daytime television ratings with Steve Harvey and all those judge shows are doing so well...peppered with commercials of class action lawsuits of drug companies, payday loans and weight loss products.

You are talking about long term unemployment excluding variations. I am talking about unemployment which resulted from tax cuts to the rich to stimulate growth. Obama didn't give massive cuts to the rich like GWB did. His tax cuts sent financial responsibility into a uncontrolled spin of irresponsible lending which caused the GFC.

Obama did not cook any books because what he inherited got worse before it got better after the dust settled. Just admit it. GWB was a financial disaster and left Obama with the biggest financial mess ever handed to a future president.

What is done is done. Stop splitting straws over this and get over it.