In a shameful move, one that clearly shows their utter contempt for women and minorities in this country, Republicans in the Senate try to block the minimum wage increase.
Senator Kennedy expressed his disdain toward the other side of the aisle in his statement shown below:
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch
Some of these amendments are in the form of tax breaks for small businesses whom Republicans charge will bear the brunt of the bill for the increase.
However, according to the former Secreatary of Labor Robert Reich, tax breaks for small businesses are unnecessary for a couple of reasons.
The first is that this wage hike is not really an increase but an inflation adjustment. Since there hasn’t been a wage increase in the last 10 years, minimum wage incomes have not followed inflation. However, price increases by small businesses typically follow inflation.
He also makes the argument that small businesses could actually be helped by a wage increase. By increasing wages, more people would enter the workforce. This gives employees a larger talent pool from which to hire and helps minimize turnover, saving money.
To quote Sen. Kennedy, “What is it about working men and women that you find so offensive?”
