Embattled Arkansas Democrat Opposes Federal Minimum Wage Hike: ‘It’s Too Much, Too Fast’

[ProSense]

Embattled Arkansas Democrat Opposes Federal Minimum Wage Hike: ‘It’s Too Much, Too Fast’

By Aviva Shen

Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) has come out against President Obama’s plan to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour because “it’s too much, too fast.”

Arkansas is among the poorest states in the nation and stands to benefit hugely from a minimum wage hike. The state is just one of four with a lower minimum wage on the books than the pre-empting federal standard. About two-thirds of full-time Arkansan workers would be affected by a raise to $10.10.

Still, Pryor told Bloomberg he will oppose the measure. “I know $10.10 still isn’t a whole lot of money, but I think it’s too much, too fast,” Pryor said in an interview at the Capitol. “I’m not supportive of that.”

While Pryor feels the hike to $10.10 is “too much, too fast,” it’s actually a more modest increase than what it would actually take to get the minimum wage back in line with inflation. Research shows the raise could also boost nearly five million Americans out of poverty.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/02/06/3256981/pryor-minimum-wage-opposition/

Elizabeth Warren: Tell Congress to raise the minimum wage.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024430298

[ananda]

1. That's too bad. Is Pryor dealing with a state ..

.. whose population is against the increase?

That would be a real shame.

[okaawhatever]

10. I think supporting it would kill his chances of being re-elected. He's facing one of the toughest

re-elections in the country and his state may be the one that flips the Senate. Arkansas is deep red and the home of Wal-Mart. At least he's saying he supports a slower increase rather than rejecting an increase outright.
Arkansas residents are like a lot of Southern states, they're misinformed by the local media and right wingers. They probably believe the increase will take their jobs away. That's how the South fights unions and other liberal supported causes.
I support his doing whatever it takes to get re-elected. After that he'll have a few years of breathing room where he can be more supportive of the party.

[atreides1]

27. Just so I understand

Arkansas would benefit from a higher minimum wage, but the voters of Arkansas don't want more money in their take home pay?

At one point the "misinformed by the local media and right wingers", would be a reason...but with the ability to go beyond the local morass they call media...that's a crap reason!

Those people aren't misinformed, they're delusional...

[okaawhatever]

29. You are absolutely correct about the people being delusional. It's the same reason many of them

don't vote for unions. It's not that they don't want increased wages, it's that they're convinced it will force companies to lay off workers or stop hiring.
It's also the amount of resistance he'll get if he pursues the current 10.10 per hour. He's straddling the fence for a reason, maybe he made a deal with some business groups to stay out of the race if he promoted a slower increase. Look, there is all kinds of polling on these things, especially in the toss-up states. I'm sure there's a reason for his position. Maybe it's because a faster increase would alienate some of the independents he needs to vote for him. I don't know what it is, but I know the Democratic party is on this race like white on rice so he's probably gotten results showing this is the best position to take. If the seat flips to R, they will likely be opposed to any increase at all.

[hobbit709]

2. Fuck him and the WalMart horse he rode in on.

[Aerows]

6. Succinct as always :D

I must agree with you!

[indepat]

41. Double f*ck 'em both sideways

[Coyotl]

3. Primary the bastard!

[okaawhatever]

11. Why? He's facing one of the toughest re-elections in the country. If he weren't a moderate Democrat

he never would have been elected in the first place. He has a very, very Republican state to deal with.The voters in Arkansas have no idea how much the minimum wage would help them. At least he supports increasing it, even if it's slower. A Republican Senator would reject it outright.

[Timez Squarez]

36. i don't care.

If he's against the minimum wage, throw his ass out.

If he's for minimum wage, he'll be re-elected with voters thanking him for using common sense.

It's a big thing. And Pryor needs to be reminded of who elected him. Not Wal-Fart.

[Timez Squarez]

40. Arkansas is one of the poorest state.

Of course they want the money.

Voting for the right guy will give the people the wages they are looking for.

Pryor ain't it.

Thank you for calling me a right wing troll when I'm not.

Wal-Mart heirs really need to let it happen and Pryor is a paid for DINO.

[Egalitarian Thug]

44. Once again proving Forrest Gump's mother right. n/t

[Scuba]

4. And these are the "Democrats".

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. Two thirds of workers affected...

Two thirds of workers with a lot more money to spend. Can you just imagine the huge economic effect that would have on the state of Arkansas? And Pryor would vote against it.

Koch puppet needs to go.

[riderinthestorm]

7. Yeah fucker. You try living on $8/hour and you'd scream that the increase needed to happen yesterday

Rich fuckers do not have a clue.

[bullwinkle428]

8. I've lost count of the number of times a blue dog has proudly

come out on the wrong side of an issue.

[SMC22307]

9. Now, now, he's a centrist Democrat whose diverse opinion should be EMBRACED!

As we all know, progress is painfully slow!

Damn those 5 million and their pony demands.

[Timez Squarez]

37. He's a ratpublican in a dog suit

Kick him out.

Period.

Primary him with a TRUE progressive who supports federal minimum wage, and promises jobs will get voted in.

Wal-Fart needs to step up and agree to the federal minimum wage or get the hell out of the retail business.

[El_Johns]

12. 2/3 of the state population works for less than $10.10, and the legislator thinks they might

all flip out if they got $10.10.

Says a lot.

[ProSense]

15. Mark Pryor is

"2/3 of the state population works for less than $10.10, and the legislator thinks they mightall flip ou t if they got $10.10."

...an ass. He also voted against the health care law. As it turned out, Arkansas accepted the Medicaid expansion, but Republicans in the state are trying to undo that.

<...>

Dylan Scott had a report this morning on developments in Arkansas, where a group of state GOP lawmakers are working on halting coverage for more than 85,000 Arkansans who’ve already gained coverage through the policy.

The revanchist Republicans are setting up their state, one of 25 to expand Medicaid this year under the health care reform law, to be the first to strip Obamacare coverage from people who already have it. Arkansas expanded the program, using a unique privatized model, under the tutelage of Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and with the support of most GOP leaders in the legislature. But a cohort of conservative lawmakers believe they now have enough votes to block funding for the expansion during the legislative session that starts next week.

The problem is: Under Arkansas law, the state legislature must vote again this year to accept federal funding for the expansion next year. Expanding Medicaid for 2014 required a 75-percent majority in each chamber, and accepting the 2015 funding does, too.

It now appears proponents may lack the necessary votes.

Why so many Republicans in the Arkansas legislature want more residents to be uninsured is unclear.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/medicaid-expansion-sure-popular

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Where do you come up with that ? It's about 1/5 of the population

making less than $10.10 an hour.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/01/30/who-a-federal-10-10-minimum-wage-affects-in-each-state/

"Arkansas
Workers directly affected: 226920
Share of total workforce: 20.4%"

[El_Johns]

42. In the OP.

"About two-thirds of full-time Arkansan workers would be affected by a raise to $10.10."

Perhaps the key is the difference between full-time workers and the total workforce.

[ladjf]

13. Pryor is either a moron or a crook. Either way, he doesn't deserve to be elected. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

14. Mark Pryor is doing and saying whatever is necessary to hold onto his seat.

His opponent, Tim Cotton, is a dyed in the wool tea partier and has a lot of support. The last poll I saw had Cotton leading Pryor by a couple of points. Blue dog or not, I'll support Mark Pryor in this race.

[SMC22307]

16. Based on the info in #12 above,

don't you think a better way to hold onto his seat would be to appeal to all of those voters making shit wages who would benefit from an increase? And to make sure they vote? And to drill into peoples' heads that the consumer-driven economy would do better if people had more money in their pockets to spend? And greater demand = more jobs?

I don't know how Arkansas polls, but overall I see a majority of Americans supporting an increase to the minimum wage, and that includes those who are making well above it.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. #12 is incorrect. In Arkansas about 20.4% make less than $10.10 and only

7% make less than $7.25 an hour.

[SMC22307]

22. Thanks. I'll admit...

I'm just not understanding how this wouldn't be a winning issue for him. But then, I'm only looking at national polls indicating support for the increase, not Arkansas specifically.

I would think if it were couched in terms of overall benefit to the economy, voters would go for it. Especially since Walmart sales are soft -- many in the middle class can't afford even them now, and shop primarily at dollar stores.

[okaawhatever]

31. The issue in these deep south states is fear. They're afraid that if the wage goes that high that

they will lose their jobs. i can assure you business groups are starting a whisper campaign that if this goes through they will have to lay off workers and/or fire them.

There's too much polling and data on this issue for him to be misjudging it. That or he could have made a deal with business groups to not help his opponent if he'd take the softer position. I don't know but there's a reason for his position and I'm sure it has something to do with winning the election.

His opponent is against it outright, having someone who supports a slower increase is better than someone who is actively fighting against you.

[SMC22307]

32. Drown their fears.

Where are the voices on our side disproving the claims of layoffs/firings? Where are the Democrats explaining that more money circulating in this consumer-driven economy is a good thing? This is reminding me of Obamacare and the insane belief that Democrats wanted to off Granny. And Democrats not calling them on their bullshit.

Oh, I'm sure deals were made.

Isn't it $10.10 over three years? That's pretty damn slow.

[El_Johns]

17. 2/3 of voters don't want a raise? How does that help him hold his seat?

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Ditto. I'm planning on moving if Cotton, a contender for the teabaggest teabagger, is

elected.

[bullwinkle428]

25. How did that work for Blanche Lincoln in 2010?

[Arkansas Granny]

30. It didn't work worth a damn for her, but going further left wouldn't have helped her either.

Arkansas has been turning red at an alarming rate over the last 10 years or so. The tea party has taken hold in the state and elections nowadays boil down to gawd, guns and gays. Many of the people I deal with every day wear ignorance like a badge of honor.

[Arcanetrance]

21. With allies like these who needs Republicans

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. But..but..but..he's not as bad as Sarah Palin.

[kath]

24. fuck ALL the Trojan Horses who have infiltrated the party of FDR.

[Agony]

26. If he asked for a $15.15 minimum wage $10.10 wouldn't seem like too much too fast...

how come our national Democrats are so bad at negotiating with reprobates?

[TheMathieu]

28. Is minimum wage that unpopular in Arkansas? Or is Pryor full of shit?

It's popular in Kentucky and McConnell's opposition to it is hurting him in the polls.

[HereSince1628]

34. My experience living in Arkansas is it was more conservative than tea-party Wisconsin.

IMO the federal minimum should be ~$16.00 I wouldn't have a problem with it being approached over 3-5 years.

There is historic precedence for such change...from 1965 to 1971 the minimum went from something near $1 an hour to about $2.75.

[BGFisher200]

33. Good for the gander

Maybe if he was forced to work for minimum he would think differently

[hatrack]

35. And if the Democrat who opposes raising the minmum wage loses . .

Why, we'd have a Republican who opposes raising the minimum wage in his place!!

The horror!!! Unbearable!! Unthinkable!!

Gosh, where can I contribute to Mark Pryor's campaign?

[ProSense]

43. "Gosh, where can I contribute to Mark Pryor's campaign?"

Look at the supporting cast

https://secure.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/303

[Cha]

38. fucker.. too much too soon too fast.. too

stupid.

[Egalitarian Thug]

45. The "very serious people", you know, the ones that are always wrong...

have assured us that the people of Arkansas are so incredibly stupid that they would never vote for someone that would fight to get them a greater part of their due.

Do these people ever listen to what they say?

[MannyGoldstein]

46. Warren's dead to me. Dead.

A 10.10 minimum wage is a much different thing in MA than it is in AR. Perhaps it should be indexed to the local cost of living?

[ProSense]

47. This thread appears to be archived, but

"A 10.10 minimum wage is a much different thing in MA than it is in AR. Perhaps it should be indexed to the local cost of living? "

...you can voice your support for a lower minimum wage here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024573651