Wednesday, 25 January 2006

State House Committee Votes To Increase the Minimum Wage

Yesterday the House Labor and Industry Committee passed a measure that would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.00 an hour and $6.50 an hour the following year. My favorite quote from the article came from Democratic Rep Charles Miller.

"We're talking about something that's important," he said. "I can't understand why anyone would be against raising minimum wage a few cents."

Because unlike you, Rep Miller, those against the raising of the minimum wage actually understand basic economics! Lets review these principles so even Rep Miller can understand them.

Artificially raising the cost of labor for any industry will cause one of two events. The additional costs are passed on the the customer. This will cause the consumer's purchasing power to decrease and force them to buy less goods. This loss in sales will lead to either a loss in jobs or reduce new job creation from lack of capital formation.

If the costs can not be passed onto the consumer because of price competition, then labor will have to either be cut to afford the additional costs or marginal business will be put out of business. Either option will lead to a net loss in jobs.

So knowing that an increase in the minimum wage will lead to a loss in jobs, it becomes very easy to oppose it. Maybe even Rep Miller can understand these basic principles! Although, I won't be holding my breath. Hopefully, this bill will never make it through the state legislature. And if it does, I hope Fletcher will veto it.

Posted by elendil at 3:01 AM in Kentucky Politics
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Governor Fletcher Stands Up to PETA

Pamela Anderson sent a letter to Gov Fletcher asking him to remove the bust of KFC founder from the state capitol. Instead of appeasing the radicals of PETA, Fletcher politely denied them there request.

"Colonel Sanders remains a Kentucky icon," Fletcher wrote last week. "His success story has been an inspiration to many. The industry he began has employed hundreds of thousands of workers over the years. His business and his legacy have been good for Kentucky."

I want to thank Governor Fletcher for rebuking the idiocy of this left wing fringe group. Yet another reason, Fletcher is proving to be a really good governor.

Posted by elendil at 2:34 AM in Kentucky Politics
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Sen Bayh for President

Burried in anarticle in the Courier I came across this gem.

Looking ahead to the Democrats' 2008 prospects for gaining the White House, political analyst Larry Sabato sees one ticket that "could be well-nigh unbeatable."

That would be former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who was born in Indianapolis, and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

Warner-Bayh or Bayh-Warner could take Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio away from the GOP, said Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, in his latest Crystal Ball newsletter

This is not the first time I have heard people mention that Bayh would be an unstoppable candidate for the president because he would take traditionally red mid-western states. As Lee Corso says on College Gameday: "not so fast my friend".

Bayh has shifted radically from his days as governor in Indiana. He has becomeone of the more liberal senators in DC. An illustration of this shift can befound in his support of the second amendment. Two years ago, Sen. Bayh pledged to support legislation that would block frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers. But when S.397, Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, was introduced, he voted for Sen. Reed's amendment that would have gutted the act. And he was one of 33 senators who slapped second amendment supporters in the face when he voted against the final draft of S.397.

The reality is Bayh's race to the left has made him vulnerable in states that many think he could easily win. I suspect that if he ran for president he would have a difficult time winning his own state once his recent voting trends were widely known. My guess is he would end up like Gore who couldn't even win his home state of Tennessee.

Posted by elendil at 2:17 AM in Kentucky Politics
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Senate GOP Leadership

In an interesting move, Sen Trent Lott has decided to run for re-election and has expressed an eagerness to get back into a Senate leadership position. This immediately started speculation that he might challenge Sen. McConnell for the majority leader.

I doubt Lott will be able effectively challenge McConnell. McConnell has spent to much time campaigning for the position. He probably has enough votes already locked up for Lott to be able to seriously challenge him. My guess is Lott will take one of the secondary positions that will open up once McConnell becomes majority leader.

But hey, who are we to deprive the Courier Journal of their fantasies about McConnell losing anything.

Posted by elendil at 2:01 AM in Kentucky Politics
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Truth Revealed - The Left Doesn't Support Our Troops

To get a rare glimpse at the liberal mind, read Joel Stein's article on why he doesn't support the troops. His whole premise for the article is that he can't support the troops because he would be implicitly endorsing the war. This rationale highlights the disdain that the left really has for our military. They don't see our military as a source of good in the world. In fact they see the opposite. That our military is a source of oppression for the world.

The reality is that Mr Stein's article is utterly ridiculous. It only illustrates his own stupidity and ignorance of the world around him. It also explains why Democrats are often perceived as weak on national defense. Because they are! It also explains why we end up with such tortured and nuanced stances on national defense put forth by the Democratic leadership. Because they are hiding who they really are. They realize if their true beliefs were ever revealed they would be slaughtered at the ballot box.

Posted by elendil at 1:50 AM in National Politics
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Cindy Sheehan Takes Her Protests Out of the Country

Cindy Sheehan is downin Venezuela for six-day Caracas World Social Forum. I suspect this is one of those supposed peace conference which really is about blaming America for all the worlds evils. She was down there to open up the conference by participating in an anti-American protest for our involvement in Iraq. While bashing Bush on one hand she she praises Chavez for his role in speaking out against America and the Bush administration.

"I admire him for his resolve against my government and its meddling,"

Let me get this straight. She wants to blame Bush for all of these atrocities while she sings the praises of a truly brutal thug who has murdered his own people to consolidate power. It seems that those on the left these days are having a difficult time determining who the bad people in the world really are! I want to help them out a bit. Those butchering there own people are the evil guys. Those trying to liberate oppressed people are the good guys.

Posted by elendil at 1:23 AM in National Politics
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