Tuesday, 13 February 2007
More Populist Drivel From the Democrats
« Good Riddance | Main | College Republicans Chairman Election »The Kentucky Democrats are back with the same tired agenda for this years session. They are going to once again attempt to raise the minimum wage in Kentucky.
"We need to proceed forward with full speed," said Rep. J.R. Gray, D-Benton. Gray is chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee, which has jurisdiction over minimum wage. "Congress has sat on their duff since 1997 and did nothing to help these lower-paid people."
Or how about this gem from house speaker Jody Richards as he pulls out the class warfare card.
"If you think $5.15 an hour is a livable wage, it's not worth passing," he said. "But if you think it isn't, it's worth passing."
So who are these poor people that "wannabe Governor" Richards wants to help? Well it may come as a shock, but over 50% of those making minimum wage are low skilled workers know as teenagers. The next biggest percentage are servers in the service industry where the money is made on tips and not from wages. Man these teenagers sure are really struggling to make ends meet and definitely need the additional income.
Besides the ridiculousness of creating a subsidy for teenagers, they want to pay for it with a tax on those companies that give these teenagers jobs. How bass ackwards is that?
On top of that, the increase in labor costs of a minimum wage hike will cause consumer goods prices all across Kentucky to rise. Making our state less competitive with neighboring states like Tennessee, Indiana, and Missouri. All to give teenagers a tax subsidy? Me thinks that the Democrats need to go take some economics classes and drop the populist rhetoric.
