Today we look at the reasons why it's both moral and economically sound to raise the minimum wage to a reasonable level and why those who oppose this change are stupid, wrong and ugly doodyheads.
Show Notes
Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill
Ch. 2: Act 1: The dignity of labor - Martin Luther King Jr.
Ch. 3: Song 1: A Fair Day's Wage - War on Peace - EP
Ch. 4: Act 2: David Card and Alan Kruegar 'New Economics Of Minimum Wage' - @teamgoodfight - Air Date 4-24-14
Ch. 5: Song 2: Minimum Wage - The Expendables
Ch. 6: Act 3: Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? - vlogbrothers - Air Date: 03-17-14
Ch. 7: Song 3: Minimum Wage - Minimum Wage Rock & Roll
Ch. 8: Act 4: Paying More And Getting More For Your Money - @teamgoodfight - Air Date 4-24-14
Ch. 9: Song 4: Minimum Wage - Fenix Tx
Ch. 10: Act 5: All Work and No Pay Part 1 - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-4-14
Ch. 11: Song 5: Minimum Wage - The System
Ch. 12: Act 6: The Holes in the CBO Minimum Wage Report - Majority Report - Air Date: 02-24-14
Ch. 13: Song 6: Minimum Wage - Stop Trying
Ch. 14: Act 7: All Work and No Pay Part 2 - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-4-14
Ch. 15: Song 7: Minimum Wage - Ep.Delta[6]
Ch. 16: Act 8: Raise the Minimum Wage to 10.10 via @NelpNews - Best of the Left Activism
Ch. 17: Song 8: Activism - The Poet
Ch. 18: Act 9: Intro to: Sen. Elizabeth Warren talks income inequality - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date: 5-1-14
Voicemails
Ch. 19: On the underfunding of public schools and mishandling of special needs students - Sally from San Francisco
Ch. 20: Respectability politics and Donald Sterling - Daniel from Houston
Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics
Ch. 21: Final comments on the good problem I'm having and what's coming up on the bonus show for members
Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone
ACTIVISM:
Raise the Minimum Wage via NELP
Raise the Wage via The White House
Sources/further reading:
"Senate Republicans Block Minimum Wage Bill”
"Hawaii Passes A $10.10 Minimum Wage Without Waiting For Congress”
"Seattle Mayor Plans to Raise Minimum Wage to $15”
"Opinion Poll: New York Small Businesses Support Higher Minimum Wages for Cities and Counties”
Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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I loved this episode. First, I’d like to point out that the notion of “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t really apply to a minimum wage. Life in central Kansas is not nearly as expensive as life in New York City. For this reason, I think the notion of a universal minimum wage is a little naïve and destined to fail. I think that each State, maybe even specific regions within each State, should create it’s own minimum wage. We see this happening right now. Several states, as your reporting made clear, have decided not to wait on the Federal Government to act. This is a good thing.
Having said that, I’d like to add that I think it’s a good idea for the Federal Government to set the absolute Minimum Wage… the wage lower than which no State or region can go.
But I really wanted to share with you a personal anecdote. Once upon a time I worked in (and ultimately owned) an independent pharmacy that was adjacent to a Kentucky Fried Chicken. Back when Minimum Wage first went above $5.00, the owner of the KFC came into the pharmacy belly aching about how he was going to have to fire some employees because he couldn’t afford to pay them that much. Then he looked at me and said, “You don’t want to pay $20 for a bucket of chicken, do you?”
I explained to him that neither one of those things was going to happen. I explained that the overwhelming majority of people earning minimum wage are not going to “invest their money wisely”. I explained to him that most of them would celebrate the extra $20 on their paycheck every Friday by going out and buying a 12-pack of beer and a bucket of chicken.
I predicted he wouldn’t fire anybody, nor would he charge $20 for a bucket of chicken.
A year went by and he came into my store literally whistling and dancing. I asked him why he was so happy and he said, “I’ve been in business over 30 years and I’ve never had a year this good!” He had made more money that year than in any year prior.
I asked him if he raised his prices and he said he’d gone up a dime on his soda pop, but nothing else.
I asked him if he had fired anybody and he told me he’d actually hired 2 more people!
I reminded him of our previous conversation, which he said he didn’t remember (and I believe him)… I pointed out exactly what had happened and why…
And he proceeded to tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about.
If we put the money in the hands of the people at the top, they will NOT spend it… They invariably save it… and that doesn’t do anybody (except them… in the short run) any good.
If we put the money in the hands of the people at the bottom, they WILL spend it… It will pass through 1,000 hands along the way, helping each and every one…
Thanks for all you do!
Be Well,
Eric