Republican Lawmaker Tells Worker Wanting Higher Minimum Wage to ‘Get a Job’

[Hissyspit]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/05/republican-lawmaker-tells-worker-wanting-higher-minimum-wage-to-get-a-job

Republican lawmaker tells worker wanting higher minimum wage to ‘get a job’

By David Edwards
Thursday, July 5, 2012 16:13 EDT

A worker in Florida got an earful from Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) on Wednesday when he asked the congressman to support a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour.

- snip -

“Ten bucks, that would give us a living wage,” the constituent points out.

“How about getting a job?” Young snaps.

“I do have one, $8.50 an hour,” the man insists.

“Why do you want that benefit?” Young grumbles. “Get a job.”

“I do have a job, but it’s not enough to get by on,” the man explains as Young turns away.

MORE[p]

[Archae]

1. Congresscritter Young should get a job.

A real one.

[LeftofObama]

2. **sigh**

These f**king republicans either just don't get it or they just don't care.

How on earth can you tell someone who already has a job to get a job? It makes my head spin.

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. He meant, get a second job, if one isn't enough to get by on.

Like gw bu$h said to the single mother who worked three jobs.........that's uniquely American

[elleng]

3. Sure hope people were listening,

and Dems are contesting the seat.

[yardwork]

4. Horrible. If we had any journalists left in the country this would be on the news tonight.

If we had any news.

[Woody Woodpecker]

5. Bill Young should be forced to work for minimum wages.

Without all the goodies.

Oh I know - throw him into prison. That should teach him.

[echofreak]

6. check this out

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. Henry Hazlitt and Frederick Bastiat?

On DU?

[Patiod]

11. Simon needs to make enough to survive

And buy Edgar's products (Henry Ford understood this)

If your workers qualify for welfare and/or Medicaid, this isn't good for society. In addition, not everyone you employ will contribute to your bottom line - some people at any organization create profit, and some are cost centers. But that doesn't mean you do away with cost centers (like HR, janitorial, etc.).

Enjoy your time on DU, echofreak.

[Warpy]

13. This fails to take into account the massive increase in business

the local businessmen see when people have enough money to buy the goods and services they produce.

Libertarians and Republicans all scream like castrated rabbits when the minimum wage goes up. However, once it's been up for a few weeks, there are never any calls to roll it back. Why?

Increased business more than offsets the increased wages they have to pay. If Edgar the Exploiter wants to keep the money pump working, he's going to have to prime it at the bottom.

Half assed, one sided videos like these do this site a disservice.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. This is such crap.

Most companies do total payroll so those that bring in more profit cover for who make less profit.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Not So Young Anymore comes across like an old drunk

[bluestateguy]

8. This is why we need term limits

To cut down on Washington arrogance and entitlement mentality.

I don't want to hear any of that "we have term limits, they're called elections" horseshit either.

And it would make career politicians indeed have to get a real job.

[Swede Atlanta]

10. I am not insensitive to the challenges of small business owners...

and by that I mean those truly small businesses with less than say 30 or 40 employees, owned and run by a family or a couple of partners. I do not mean huge family-owned businesses that the Republicans call small businesses because they have two or three owners. As such I know that wages consume a significant portion of their cash flow. Raising the minimum wage to $10.00 could have a profound affect on some businesses. They would have a choice to lay off workers, reduce goods and services and overall shrink their business. The other option would be to increase the price of their goods and services to customers. That would likely reduce the volume of business and similarly result in reductions in force.

But at some point we have to also realize that in very few places in this country, if any, can someone earning minimum wage pay for a two-bedroom apartment. So if they have a family, they might be able to rent a one-bedroom or a studio.

So either we raise the minimum wage so that it is a living wage or we accept that those minimum wage jobs are really for our youth and maybe a second income in a family.

As that young person ages and wants to move out on his/her own, get married, have a family, etc. they have to be able to move to a job that actually pays something. The ways to do that are to get them in a UNION job where collective bargaining assures them a chance or we educate them and position them for success.

Young parrots Bush. I recall a public event where a woman told him she was working 3 jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. His response was that only in America could someone actually get and work 3 jobs. He was totally clueless as to what she was trying to get across.

[tanyev]

12. Get two more! It's uniquely American.

GeeDub said so.

[DearAbby]

14. Since when did politicians SPIT IN OUR FACES?

When they no longer needed us for an election. We have become irrelevant...thanks Citizen's United.

[Initech]

23. Since billionaire terrorist scumbags like the Koch Bros. took over.

Think it's bad now? Wait until Citizens United rears it's ugly head in the next election cycle.

[DearAbby]

26. That is why I am treating this election as my last chance to vote

after this election, the country is gone. Elections wont matter. They will always be in control. They pick the two candidates, we decide which one..They will even pay for the show...not much freedom is it?

[Initech]

27. Yup - not much when you think about it.

Of course - I really hope something happens that gets Scalia and Thomas kicked off the court while Obama's in power. But I will be willing to bet some good money that we will see an economic revolt against these scumbags in my lifetime.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. The Right Wing Noise Machine was in his head

So what the guy said didn't compute because according to the Right Wing all you need is a job,...ANY JOB and you can have it ALL.

A new car, a wife and kids, health care, a house and a dog.

So get off your lazy asses!!! All this can be yours you stupid welfare bums!!!!

[patrice]

17. A-N-Y-O-N-E who objects to raising MW, is saying, TTE, "What people are paid doesn't matter."

Their employers could save a lot of money by paying them $7.20 and they shouldn't object, because, of course, they DO have a job, why should they receive more, especially if they are paid with our tax money.

[Beartracks]

18. "You should be happy with your magninimous overlords, loser!"

Can't remember which Republican said that, and I'm pretty sure that's not an exact quote. Oh, yeah -- it was pretty much ALL of them.

=======================

[Stratosgc]

19. What the repug legislators in the employ of the 1% don't comprehend.

I knew a smart young lady with a child who was on welfare and going to college. She did not have a job becasue she couldn't live on the wages she could make, and the jobs avbailable to her would not include health insurnace for her and her child.
If welfare won't keep people alive it is not effective. If a minimum wage job won't keep the worker alive, why work. Minimum wage jobs must pay a living wage and we need universal health care. The system we have now doesn't work.
The christian conservatives solution, let people starve to death or die of preventable deseases. That is not my understanding of Christ's teachings.

[neeksgeek]

20. What he meant was this:

"If the job you have doesn't pay enough, get another one, a better one. Or work two jobs!"

As if it is that easy to get a job in the first place in this economy...

[secondvariety]

21. As far as I know,

Young has never done anything but slurp from the taxpayer's teat. This clod has over stayed his welcome.

[Initech]

22. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care.

[Hugabear]

25. Let's put Congress on minimum wage, and take away their cozy benefits

Of course since many rethugs are already filthy rich, you'd have to figure out a way to freeze their bank accounts - at least while they're serving in Congress - and force them to live in public housing.

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. The peasants are revolting.