Labor: Labor, "Cost-of-Living" and "Standard-of-Living"

We see, in the article below, what happens when "cost-of-living" is not introduced into this discussion about the Minimum Wage.

Each and everyone of us should be responding to every single article we come across about linking the Minimum Wage to cost-of-living.

I would love to respond to this particular article but the Star Tribune editorial board has banned my letters from being published in their newspaper even though their editors have waged vicious red-baiting campaigns against me.

So much for “democracy” and the much ballyhooed “free press” these editors and “journalists” from the Star Tribune like to boast about.

On the one hand the Star Tribune refuses to allow a discussion about the relationship between wages and cost-of-living; while on the other hand its editors and journalists drum into people's heads that an increase in the Minimum Wage will cause a loss of jobs and then poll results reflect what people have been fed day in and day out, every single day of the year and then these poll results are brought forward to “prove” people want an increase in the Minimum Wage as long as it isn't too much. How convenient that this big-business calling itself the Minneapolis Star Tribune would be able to come up with poll results that its fellow poverty-wage loving big-business partners with the advertising dollars will appreciate.

This article, like most articles on the Minimum Wage, can be broken down into at least 4 issues relating to the Minimum Wage that need to be responded to.

One thing we might consider doing is setting up a committee to respond to all these articles--- everyone would forward every article on the Minimum Wage they come across to one person, then that person would ask each of four people or so to respond to a different section of the article with a "letter to the editor" and even a longer op-ed piece. This might be a project we propose at out Uniting People National Conference Call about the Minimum Wage on April 27?

Democratic and Republican hacks are busy writing letters from their business perspectives on the Minimum Wage and then they ask people to sign the letters and send them in. The Star Tribune then calls to “verify” that these people sending the letters actually wrote them by asking, “Is this your original writing and no one else's?” Of course, the signer of the letter always dishonestly responds, “Yes; this letter is my original letter.”

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has never entertained the idea that there is this inseparable relationship between wages and “cost-of-living.” This is a taboo topic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune--- as anyone can see from this article written by one very reactionary Rachel E. Stassen-Berger who the editorial board of the Minneapolis Star Tribune don't like to mention that she is the granddaughter of the racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Communist, anti-labor, Nazi-loving and thoroughly corrupt lying former Minnesota Republican Governor Harold Stassen and president wan-a-be.

One thing I am wondering about is why some people seem to want to evade the Minimum Wage by saying things like "we need a living wage not a Minimum Wage."

There doesn't seem to be an understanding that the Minimum Wage is meant to protect workers by providing workers with a real living wage; not give employers a large body of cheap labor that is then used not only from which super-profits are derived but is used to drive all wages down.

In my opinion, we should be united in calling for the Minimum Wage to be a real living wage.

Doing otherwise lets these politicians off the hook. After all, this is an issue specifically about the Minimum Wage so why would we want to try to turn it into an issue about a “Living Wage Act” or anything else someone might choose to call it?

This issue about the Minimum Wage is the most important “kitchen table issue” and we, as leftists, should be concerned we are a catalyst for united action on this issue.

Anyone else have thoughts about this?

I would point out, that not once, has the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article about the hideous Indian Gaming Industry which was created by these worthless Democrats for a bunch of extremely wealthy racist white mobsters like Angelo Medure, the Fertitta family and Malnik who force 44,000 Minnesotans to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws while Indian Nations are mired in the perpetual poverty causing debt from which wealthy investors like the Rockefeller's, Koch's, Mellon's and the teacher union pension fund managers reap huge profits.

And anyone can read the Minneapolis Star Tribune, listen to Minnesota Public Radio stations or even the foundation-funded "community radio" stations to understand why this mainstream big-business corporate media is silent on this issue involving the plight of casino workers in the same way the Minneapolis Star Tribune is so loathe to publish just one single article explaining the relationship between wages and "cost-of-living" which determines the "standard-of-living" for working people.

Oh, yes; before I forget... did you ever notice the millions upon millions of advertising dollars the Minneapolis Star Tribune receives from this hideous Indian Gaming Industry where these wealthy racist white mobsters own every single slot machine, table game and reap all the profits from the hotels/motels, restaurants/bars and how this great "free" media remains just as silent as these mobsters reap further huge profits from the casino "gift shops" from all this crap manufactured in sweatshops in Bangladesh, Taiwan, India, Mexico and the Philippines that is illegally sold as "Authentic Native American Crafts" completely in violation of federal laws?

And Minnesota State legislators along with all our great "progressive" members of Congress all go along to get along--- a get massive campaign contributions from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association which is run by another extremely wealthy racist white crook, John McCarthy--- who, by the way, just happens to be the new owner of Tony Doom Enterprises which sells all the campaign paraphernalia from yard signs to pens and pencils and those refrigerator magnets to the very politicians he dishes out the funds from the Indian Gaming Industry in the form of campaign contributions.

And let's not leave out this illustrious wife-beating prick who is so loved by the Editorial Board of the Minneapolis Star Tribune--- Kevin Leecy. How much does Kevin Leecy haul in from the Indian Gaming Industry as a direct result of his own tribal members living in such disgraceful poverty because they are paid poverty wages working in the Fortune Bay Casino?

Let's just sweep all these injustices under the rug right along with any discussion about the Minimum Wage and "cost-of-living" as these bastards tell us that there is this so-called "median income" of around $50,000.00 that is supposed to describe the "standard-of-living" of Minnesotans.

You know--- Rachel E. Stassen-Berger inherited more than her looks from her grandfather, Harold Stassen; she learned to lie just like him.

Between the right-wing bigot Jane Friedman and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, the Minneapolis Star Tribune has a couple real "prize" journalists writing about the plight of working people.

By the way... have you noticed Rachel E. Stassen-Berger and Jane Friedman have never asked how most Minnesota working class families will ever be able to pay this winter's heating bills? "Cost-of-living."

Don't misunderstand me. Minnesota does have a handful of very good state legislators. A worker who has had all but three fingers chopped off in an industrial accident working at MinnTac can count them all on his one hand.

Alan L. Maki

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/246078891.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Minnesota Poll: Minimum wage hike is popular, but $9.50 target isn’t

Article by: RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER , Star Tribune
Updated: February 19, 2014 - 5:39 AM

Nearly 80 percent in poll say increase minimum wage.

Minnesotans overwhelmingly believe it is time to lift the state’s minimum wage, but fewer than half are ready to raise it to the level proposed by some DFLers, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.

The poll found that 42 percent of Minnesotans say it’s time to increase the state’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour — a figure proposed by House leaders and supported by Gov. Mark Dayton. Another 37 percent say it should go above the current minimum of $6.15 but stay below $9.50.

Only 16 percent of Minnesotans say the minimum wage should stay where it is. At $6.15 an hour, the state minimum is below the federal standard and one of the lowest in the nation.

The poll found support for raising the wage floor across all groups: Whether men or women, Democrats or Republicans, young or old, urban or rural, Minnesotans say $6.15 is not enough.

“I think it should be more. It should be minimum of $10. Minimum,” said Jeff Richard, 51, a temporary worker in Lakeville. “I don’t know how someone working for less would possibly live.”

The poll results will give advocates of raising pay a boost as they try to change the wage floor again this year.

Last year, amid division among Democrats over how high to go, the DFL-controlled Capitol left the minimum wage unchanged.

Backers have vowed not to let that happen again. Dayton and House DFL leaders, along with many advocates, have settled on $9.50 by 2015. Supporters have spent months pushing legislators to support the increase.

They also plan a massive rally to welcome the Legislature back to the Capitol when it reconvenes next Tuesday.

“This clearly indicates that a broad swath of Minnesotans believe that this is the way to go,” said Brian Rusche, co-chair of a group campaigning for a $9.50-an-hour minimum wage.

The poll surveyed 800 Minnesota adults between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Three-fourths of respondents were reached through a land line, one-fourth by cellphone.

The sample included 39 percent Democrats, 30 percent Republicans and 26 percent of Minnesotans who said they were independent or identify with another party.

Effect on job growth debated

Some Minnesotans — including those who support an increase — say they harbor concerns that a higher wage could come at the price of lower job growth.

According to the poll, 31 percent of Minnesotans believe there will be a significant loss of jobs if the minimum wage is raised to $9.50. Meanwhile, 39 percent said a jump to $9.50 would cause “few or no minimum wage jobs” to be lost.

“I think $9.50 would be awfully hard on a lot of small-business owners,” said Cindy Manthei, a 55-year-old who works in a meat market. The Republican from Loretto said she wants the wage floor to go up, but only a little.

Roger Golby, a DFL activist from Annandale, said he too fears the effect of a sudden jump in wages.

“I think it should be a gradual increase and not immediate … to allow companies to slide into it,” said Golby, 64. Otherwise, he said, “There may be some layoffs.”

Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, said if the minimum wage jumped suddenly, his members would be forced to reduce jobs.

He said the fact that 37 percent of those polled support increasing the wage to something below $9.50 an hour is “somewhat encouraging.”

“I think we all know that level is going to go up,” Nustad said. He would like legislators to ask: “What’s the reasonable level that’s not overly dramatic?”

No matter what final dollar amount they land on, lawmakers will have to settle on a phase-in time for the new wage, determine which businesses would have to pay it and whether any will be exempt.

In Minnesota, about 114,000 workers were paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 or less in 2013. According to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development, more than 460,000 Minnesotans, or about 16 percent of all workers, were paid less than $9.50 an hour in 2012.

Income is a big divide

The poll found that higher-income Minnesotans were least likely to support a minimum-wage increase.

Nearly half of those earning more than $75,000 annually said the minimum wage should remain $6.15 an hour, where it has been since 2005. Most employers pay the federal minimum, although some employers are allowed to pay the lower state minimum.

According to the poll, Democrats were most comfortable with a significant increase — 64 percent said the rate should be increased to $9.50 and another 27 percent said it should be increased, but by less. Nearly all independents — 85 percent — favored an increase. So did Republicans, but by a smaller share. About 58 percent said boost wages, though only 14 percent said as high as $9.50. Another 36 percent of Republicans said keep the minimum unchanged.

“I don’t see that government has any business telling private business how much to pay their people,” said Richard Larcher, 72, of Dora Lake. “That’s just silly, and it will cost jobs.”

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Twitter: @RachelSB