Minimum wage would go to $10 under (Illinois) Senate bill

[Newsjock]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Senate Democrats proposed raising the state’s minimum wage Thursday in a bid that eventually would boost pay for the working poor to more than $10 an hour.

Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) introduced legislation that would raise Illinois’ $8.25-an-hour minimum wage by 50 cents plus the rate of inflation annually until it reaches its “historic level.”

The legislation defines that “level” as the equivalent in today’s dollars of what $1.60-an-hour was in 1968 when the inflation-adjusted buying power of the minimum wage peaked. Today, that rate would equal $10.03 per hour.

If the proposal gains traction in the Legislature this spring, it would help offset the impact on low wage earners of the 67-percent increase in the individual income-tax rate that took effect in January.


Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/business/3759301-420/minimum-wage-would-go-to-10-under-senate-bill.html

[BadgerKid]

1. A slice for everyone: Raise state income tax, then increase wages. n/t

[apnu]

4. Yup that was my first thought.

They'll raise the minimum wage so they can get more $$ of income taxes.

[ItNerd4life]

2. I wish it was only for people older than 21

Teenage unemployment is horrible partly because of the minimum wage.

[KamaAina]

9. So you'd be cool with a subminimum wage for teens?

Smacks of exploitation to me.

[24601]

10. Yes it's far better to exploit them by unemployment. Because

the higher you make it, the fewer produce at that level.

High taxes and high unemployment - Illinois heading for a meltdown.

[katnapped]

13. By your logic

Why bother paying anyone at all?

Because by your logic we all should be thankful to live in such a free country, never mind being able to survive in it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. RW talking points don't get any better by restricting them to a smaller demography. -nt

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[OnlinePoker]

5. Just curious on stats

How many people in the state (or all of the States for that matter) are employed at minimum wage? Minimum wage here in B.C. is the lowest in Canada at $8.00/hr, but I remember when this issue was brought up in the fall they said only about 4% of wage earners are at that level so any increase would be mostly symbolic unless employers for the other 96% also increase their wages.

[melm00se]

12. according to the BLS

minimum/sub minimum wage people comprise approximately 5% of the hourly wage employees (or 3.5 million people)

Additional stats on minimum wage workers are at the source link below:

Source

[Atypical Liberal]

6. Just $10?

Why stop at just $10? Why not $20?

[LanternWaste]

7. $20 is not the historic rate as adjusted for inflation.

"Why not $20?"

Because $20 is not the historic rate as adjusted for inflation. However, that may beg additional questions, so...



1. The Quest for a Living Wage: The History of the Federal Minimum Wage Program by Willis Nordlund

2. A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of Consumer Society by Lawrence B. Glickman.

3. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

[Atypical Liberal]

8. So?

Why concern oneself with the historic definition of survival?