Monday, April 17, 2006
George Allen Drove Down Wages
Let's get it straight, undocumented workers are not driving down wages, Congress is; and yes, that especially includes our junior senator.
Ostroy has a brilliant post noting how Republicans have blocked attempts to raise the minimum wage by Democrats at every turn. The last time the minimum wage was increased was eight years ago, from a paltry $4.75 an hour to a still contemptible $5.15 an hour.
So folks, don't pay any attention to histrionics from the likes of George Allen or Tom Tancredo; our wages are not under attack by foreigners, but by callous, hate-mongering, do-nothing legislators who only last October voted down the Democratic proposal to increase the minimum wage.
As Ostroy points out, the "very same [s]enators, who earn $162,100 per year [and] have voted themselves eight pay raises totalling $31,600."
They also get upwards of $2-million, depending on the population of their home state, to cover health and life insurance, pensions, office supplies and expenses, travel, telecommunications and mass mailings. But these elitist Republicans, many of whom were born on 3rd base and think they've hit a triple, repeatedly shoot down Democrats' proposals to put another buck or two per hour into the hands of Mr. & Mrs. Working Stiff. What balls.And just who were these arrogant 'ballsy' senators? Well, here are the names of legislators, in alphabetical order, from Roll Call.
Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, George Allen of Virginia, Bob Bennett of Utah, Kit Bond of Missouri, Sam Brownback of Kansas, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, Conrad Burns of Montana, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas, Larry Craig of Idaho, Mike Crapo of Indiana, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, Pete Domenici of New Mexico, John Ensing of Nevada, Michael Enzi of Montana, Bill Frist of Tennesee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Charles Grassley of Iowa, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Orin Hatch of Utah, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Jon Kyle of Arizona, Trent Lott of Mississippi, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Mel Martinez of Florida, John McCain of Arizona, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Ted Stevens of Alaska, John Sununu of New Hampshire, James Talent of Missouri, Craig Thomas of Wyoming, John Thune of South Dakota, David Vitter of Louisiana, George Voinovich of Ohio and John Warner of Virginia.
That's right, not a single Democrat on the list; every one voted for the increase, along with petrified Lincoln Chafee, Mike DeWine and Rick Santorum.
Possibly looking ahead, or maybe because he doesn't really like Frist or the administration, Arlen Specter also voted for the increase.
Nah...it couldn't be 'cause he's got a conscience.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 3:24 PM 
