MCKEON TO FIGHT PROPOSED INCREASE TO MINIMUM WAGE.Byline: EUGENE TONG tong 1 tr.v. tonged, tong·ing, tongs To seize, hold, or manipulate with tongs. [Back-formation from tongs. Staff Writer A proposed federal minimum wage hike from $5.15 to $7.25 -- what could be the first increase in nearly a decade -- faces stern opposition, including local Rep (programming) REP - A directive used in IBM object code card decks (and later PTF Tapes) to REPlace fragments of already assembled or compiled object code prior to link edit. . Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon. The amendment offered by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Rep. Dave Obey David Ross "Dave" Obey (pronounced Obie) (born October 3, 1938) is a Wisconsin politician. He has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1969, representing Wisconsin's At-large congressional district (map). , D-Wis., was approved 32-27 Wednesday by the House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee In the United States government, the Appropriations Committee can refer to either:
Department of Health and Human Services, HHS . If approved, it would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 -- set in 1997 -- to $7.25 in three increments over roughly two years. ``Millions of Americans who work hard every day are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads because the minimum wage hasn't kept up with inflation,'' Obey Obey can refer to:
Even as the federal minimum wage remained unchanged over the past nine years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time cost of goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. continued to climb. The federal Consumer Price Index has climbed 26.2 percent nationwide between 1997 and 2006. For Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Orange and Riverside counties, the increase was about 32.7 percent. California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). voters have increased the state minimum wage three times since 1997, from $5.15 to $6.75 currently. Still, McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, who oversees the issue as chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said he would strike the provision if it ever makes the floor. McKeon spokesman James Geoffrey said Wednesday the congressman, who ran his family's western wear chain before entering politics, believes raising the minimum wage only cuts employment for the lowest earners as employers cut costs to pay the increase. ``You're pricing the lowest-wage workers out of the market,'' he said. ``It is really penalizing the most vulnerable population. ``There is only one way up the income ladder -- develop the skills of competitiveness that will allow you to climb in your chosen field. There's no other way. ... You're not going to substitute by writing a law a person's lack of skills or education.'' Obey acknowledged it'll be a challenge getting the amendment past the House GOP leadership. ``For this measure to succeed, the House leadership will have to stand aside and allow the House to do what is right for working families,'' he said. Richard Burkhauser, a professor at Cornell University's Department of Policy Analysis and Management who has studied the impact of a set minimum wage wage earners, disputed whether a hike is the best policy. He said workers benefiting the most from a wage hike are the young middle class who are just joining the work force. ``If you're interested in helping the working poor, this is a terrible way to do it,'' Burkhauser said. ``Most of the working-poor households already make more than the minimum wage. They're poor because their hours aren't enough.'' Burkhauser agreed with McKeon's stance that an across-the-board wage hike would dampen employment, with companies trying to get by with fewer workers. ``You can get experience from being in the work force,'' he said. ``(With a wage increase) you remove the first step of the ladder for people to get the skills to help them get the better wages.'' Rather, Burkhauser said the right policy is hiking hiking Walking, often among hills or mountains, as recreational sport. It represents an activity in its own right and also figures in backpacking, camping, hunting, mountaineering, and orienteering. the income tax credit for low-wage earners -- currently about 32 cents to the dollar. ``This is a very effective way of rewarding work,'' he said. ``Let's make work pay, and let's do it in a way that doesn't cost jobs.'' Still, Obey believes Americans workers can use a break. ``After passing $50 billion in tax cuts for people who make over a million dollars a year, raising the minimum wage for people who haven't seen a wage increase since 1997 is simply the least this Congress can do for working Americans,'' he said. eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com (661)257-5253 |
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