The Furious Spinner

If you need another reason to be outraged, the Senate voted down (POPUP) a proposed minimum wage increase. This will be the ninth year in a row that hasn't seen a minimum wage hike. The senators don't seem to have difficult giving themselves a raise: they've seen a nearly $30,000 increase during the same nine year period. (Originally I said $30,000 a year because a Hawaiian media-outlet said that, but I was skeptical so I looked it up and it was nearly $30,000 (PDF) over that period total. I meant to save this post and check later, but it got posted when I hit the wrong button. It was 4:30 a.m. when I started it, so I didn't notice; what can I say? I do apologize.)

By the way, if someone actually made $7.25 an hour (the proposed minimum wage), s/he would make about $15,000 a year.

As it is now (and shall remain), someone who is making minimum wage and works forty hours a week, s/he will bring home about $10,000 a year.

Ain't poverty grand?

And how do the Senators get away with this, you ask? Because we—the regular Joes and Jills—are not their constituency. Businesses are. Wealthy businesses. The United States is absolutely positively a busidom. And busidoms only care that they have enough workers for their corporate businesses. They aren't interested that these worker bees are happy and well-paid. In fact it's probably better that they aren't well-paid. People who have enough money might have time to think about things and long for—and fight for—a better life. Better to keep the worker bees occupied with other things (like trying to make enough money to put a roof over their heads etc.).

Do I sound cynical?

All photographs and written material copyright © 2003-2008 by Kim Antieau unless otherwise indicated. May not be used without permission.