Thought for the day
April 29, 1999
The Republicans in Congress are trying to prevent a Democratic effort to increase the minimum wage by ONE DOLLAR over two years (yup, 50 cents per year). The black-hearted bastards can't come right out and say,
"Look, you're poor. Statistically, you don't vote Republican. And our biggest campaign contributors see you as cogs in the machine. Nothing personal, but SCREW YOU!
So, instead, they come up with mumbo-jumbo about how an increase in the minimum wage will actually HURT poor people because those poor, downtrodden business owners will just fire more workers to make up the difference. PLUS, if you don't get fired, it would still be bad for poor people to have more money because it would just cause inflation and that would erode their buying power.
Sadly for these bastards, history quickly disproves BOTH Republican lies. Inflation is holding near record lows and interest rates are historically low. This is enabling millions of Americans to own homes and enjoy the "American Dream."
But what about unemployment? Surely, if companies have to pay more for labor, they will fire people, especially teenagers, blacks, and other unskilled people right? Well, let's look at the numbers. I went to the source, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and checked to see if the folks at the "CATO" thinktank were right. Last time this subject came up, they wrote lots of papers to support the Republicans. They even said that if you raise the minimum wage, it will increase unemployment amongst teenagers and inexperienced people, especially blacks. But Congress increased the pitiful minimum wage anyway. What was the impact? Here are the charts...
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20 Years and up |
16 - 19 year-old |
16 - 19 year-old White |
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| Series ID : LFS21001700Q Seasonally Adjusted Series Title : UNEMP. RATE - Civilian labor force 20 yrs. & over Race : N/a Sex : N/a Status : Civilian Labor Force |
Series ID : LFS21000830Q Seasonally Adjusted Series Title : UNEMP. RATE - Civilian labor force 16-19 yrs. Black Race : Black/Negro Sex : N/a Status : Civilian Labor Force |
Series ID : LFS21000810Q Seasonally Adjusted Series Title : UNEMP. RATE - Civilian labor force 16-19 yrs. White Race : White Sex : N/a Status : Civilian Labor Force |
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Data extracted on: April 29, 1999 (12:25
AM) from the United States Bureau of Labor
Statistics
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So, let's see. As the last round of increases in the minimum wage went into effect (phased-in over multiple years) did unemployment go up for anyone? NO! They're lying! There have been normal ups and downs during this (and every) period, but in general, we are much better off now. That even includes twenty-somethings and black teenagers.
How is that possible? The Republicans sounded so sure and so logical when they told us that it would be a "bad thing" for poor people to earn more money. Sure, if a business was poorly run they might have to lay somebody off or cut hours as a result of having to increase pay by an astronomical $20 per week. But those inept companies might have had layoffs anyway. The fact is, businesses learn and become more efficient as they mature. Those that don't, fail. This is just a way to pass on the fruits of that improvement to the workers that deserve it.
So the next time some Republican tells you that you would be better off making less money, don't just laugh in their face and tell them they are full of crap, tell them to look at the facts.
| Facts | Fiction |
|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics | CATO Institute |
| Republican National Committee | |
| Yahoo's list of Fairy Tales |