Bachmann says she'd consider minimum wage changes

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: AP

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Friday she wouldn't rule out changes to the federal minimum wage as a way to lower the cost of doing business and lure corporations back to the United States.

The Minnesota congresswoman told supporters at a packed sandwich shop that the corporate income tax needs to be reduced because companies are moving to other countries to save money. She was later asked by a reporter whether changes to the minimum wage should also be considered to balance the cost of labor here and overseas.

"I'm not married to anything. I'm not saying that's where I'm going to go," she said.

She did say she wants to look at all aspects of doing business, from regulations to tax codes, and will consider anything that will help create jobs. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

Read more: http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110827/ap_on_el_pr/us_bachmann2012

---

This your teabagger vision for America: Lower U.S. labor standards to match China.

Next, they'll be calling for prison labor and sweatshops in order to "stay competitive."

Meanwhile, neither party will address global trade deals and the dismantling of the tariff system protected the country for 200 years from the outsourcing and downsizing we see now.

[Kalidurga]

1. Good she can go first....

reduce her pay to minimum wage and I won't complain if she lowers the minimum wage.

[Capitalocracy]

54. I would. nt

[tropicanarose]

59. high fives! You said it!

[SharonAnn]

65. Why doesn't she go directly to allowing slavery? Even encouraging it?

[Buenaventura]

71. she's already said that african-american babies

were better off as slaves ...

[RedCloud]

98. Especially after what she enivisons to be the future.

[nxylas]

109. Well, technically she didn't say it

She signed a pledge that said it, before the organisation that drafted the pledge changed the wording of it once people noticed.

[Divine Discontent]

126. and progressive groups who run commercials need to just play the horrible shit these GOP thugs have

said on their own. Seriously, if it's Perry or Bachmann, and we don't take back the House and retain the presidency (thus giving this president a more liberal Congress), with all the shit the GOP freaks say, then people who vote for the Repukes deserve the hell they'll bring on themselves, sadly, many of us will be harmed more by their ignorance and racism.


http://www.cafepress.com/barackobama12

[roguevalley]

124. she's dirt with a voice

[cui bono]

130. And dock her for her blackout time and time spent hiding in her office.

But I do disagree with lowering the minimum wage, it's still not enough to raise a family on.

[christx30]

136. I think all politicans should be

on minimum wage. They get paid too much and they can approve all of their own pay raises.

[Downwinder]

2. Why doesn't she set an example and only collect minimum wage

for her job?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. or, better yet, less than minimum wage

as she's advocating for?

[indurancevile]

5. she & her husband: both grifters sucking on that gov't tit

[66 dmhlt]

79. Michele & Marcus are "Welfare Queens" to the tune of almost $300,000!

Marcus' "psychology clinic" has received almost $30,000 in government funds, and the farm they are partners in has received almost $260,000 in federal subsidies.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bachmann-20110626,0,1896024.story

[on point]

4. Bachmann says " I want the US to win the race to the bottom"

From $2 dollar gasoline to the ride of Paul Revere, this lady is the most ignorant delusional idiot around - except for the fools who support her of course!

[polmaven]

28. To be fair...

Wasn't it Sister Sarah who updated the accuracy of the Ride of Paul Revere? Michele did set us straight on the compassionate motives of the slave owners and who actually worked to free the slaves, though.

[on point]

51. My Bad. You are right it was Sister Sarah. Just can't tell them apart all the time...

But I agree, to counter their no facts zone we must be scrupulously accurate at all times, even when poking fun!

[66 dmhlt]

77. But she DID put Lexington & Concord in New Hampshire

Whereas every third grade school kid knows that the "Shot Heard Round the World" was in Massachusetts.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/bachmann-muddles-american-history-puts-battles-of-lexington-and-concord-in-new-hampshire.php

[louis-t]

75. But it was Michelle who wished Elvis happy birthday

on the anniversary of his death.:eyes:

[No Elephants]

6. No words.

[Angry Dragon]

7. In your picture I just noticed marcus has the same mouth

America, where people exist to support the corporations..............Long live the factory

[blkmusclmachine]

8. The GOP would have Minimum Wage workers barter for their wage, starting at $0/hr:

And that's just their starting point. Slave labor for all, which coincides perfectly with Christian Dominionism Theory.

[rfranklin]

14. She's trying to match the Haiti minimum wage of 31 cents per day...

A Wikileaks post published on The Nation shows that the Obama Administration fought to keep Haitian wages at 31 cents an hour.

(This article was taken down by The Nation due to an embargo, but it was excerpted at Columbia Journalism Review.)

It started when Haiti passed a law two years ago raising its minimum wage to 61 cents an hour. According to an embassy cable:



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/wikileaks-haiti-minimum-wage-the-nation-2011-6#ixzz1WE0UY6Lg

[w0nderer]

17. if you want the privilige of working for my company, what will you pay me? sarcasm nt

[dogmoma56]

133. here is a link for Dominionism...>>Link>>

http://doggo.tripod.com/doggchrisdomin.html

from a previous post..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1827882&mesg_id=1831053

[Hugabear]

9. This is how the rethugs plan to bring jobs back from China - to become China

Eliminating minimum wage laws, loosening environmental regulations, rolling back all sorts of employee protections - all part of the GOP plan. Sure, you'd see a lot of manufacturing jobs coming back to the US, welcome back to the 1800's.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ken Burch]

11. The scary part is, she probably thinks Jesus is with her on this...

:eyes:

[tcaudilllg]

13. If there is a hell...

she'll burn in it for eternity.

[spedtr90]

35. She knows Jesus opposed minimum wages.....David Barton told her so... (link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtCpVhRtlZ4

David Barton: Jesus Opposed The Minimum Wage

[tabasco]

85. I doubt that very much.

This kind of psychopath just pretends to be religious to further their power grabs.

[mwb970]

12. I don't think it matters what Lady Batcrap says at this point.

She's not a serious candidate, but she does serve the purpose of reminding people that the republicans have all gone stone cold crazy.

[russspeakeasy]

43. ...and for that we should thank her......

:evilgrin: knowing someone that is that batshit crazy and has supporters is scary...

[truthisfreedom]

15. "I'm not married to anything." You heard it here folks.

She's married to something that's not anything.

[Chipper Chat]

56. Ha ha ha

I was just about to make a reply out of this. U beat me to it. :rofl:

[tclambert]

16. She wants to LOWER the minimum wage?

Now, that's an economy killer. The working poor can barely survive now.

[polmaven]

29. Well, yeah, but...

SOMEBODY has to look out for the good of the gagillionaires!!! Whaddya think, anyway????

[newspeak]

91. don't you know that if you have three low paying jobs

you may be able to support your family? That's the american way!!! Oh wait, now days, you got to try to find three jobs.

[no_hypocrisy]

18. Surprised the wait staff didn't chase her out of the restaurant when she said that.

[mascarax]

21. Sounds like it was a question after, but I wondered if they heard too

Hope they do know: they'll know not to vote for her then.

GOPer Tom Emmer, running for Governor in MN last year, stood up outside of a GOP-owned restaurant and declared that wait staff "could make $100,000!". The backlash was massive (thanks especially to some partisan group promotion). He took a huge hit in the polls and, while he managed to make the race too close for comfort (with a recount, which he lost), he never recovered from that one. I think the audience was mostly media so he got the coverage he craved.

Apparently, someone told him that right before his speech (or so he claimed; never clear whether that's what the person said, or he misunderstood)...but he really did believe that waitstaff was Living the High Life of 6 figures! He's one of those Dubya/Rick Perry types who will stick to his story no matter what.

I suppose next for Bachmann: "Bachmann considers slavery alternative" because corporate taxes must be cut.

[BiggJawn]

40. I had a neighbour who made 5 figures waiting tables

But he worked at a couple of the finest restaurants in the city, where it was common for him to get $100 a night or more.

But for every waitperson like him there's 10,000,000 who can't even make gas money from their tips.

[stockholmer]

57. 5 figures per month? 5 figures per year could mean as low as 10,000 dollars per annum

Perhaps you meant 6 figures ($ 100,000 and over).

Also, it would take 276 dollars a night, working all 365 days in the year, to gross 100,000 per annum. I you worked 5 days a week, with a total of 10 days off for official USA holidays and a short vacation, you would have to make on average 400 dollars each and every night to gross 100,000 in a 12 month time frame.

:shrug:

[BiggJawn]

69. He told me he made between 70-80 thousand a year.

Who was I to call him a liar, right?

Not bad money for fetching a clean napkin for some Master of the Universe, eh?

[justabob]

76. in fine dining, very possible

I knew a guy that worked at Del Frisco's here who was making that much, easily. My sister made that much too, working a lower level fine dining. Sadly, it is not easy to break into that high a level. Most of us have to make our money turning and burning.... "feed 'em and street 'em" as a coworker used to say. :)

[stockholmer]

78. thanks for the clarification, I am sure he did make that much, and in the USA, being a server at a

high end restaurant is hard, hard work. All your income is based off of tips, versus our european model of paying a decent base salary (around 25K to 35k, depending on country), then giving the worker's a cut of a mandatory gratuity. This base salary and mandatory gratuity (included in most EU resto bills) is why many of my fellow EU residents do not tip when they come to to the US, thus giving an overly harsh impression that we are stingy with our money.

[BiggJawn]

94. That's right

Even more shocking here in the US, especially Indiana, is that most "Tipped Employee" jobs are paid at BELOW the minimum wage of $7.25, earning $2.13 an hour with the expectation that the employee will earn enough tips to equal $7.25. If you don't make $5.12 an hour in tips, then your employer makes up the difference to equal $7.25. At least they are SUPPOSED to. I doubt many do.

[w0nderer]

132. they should make it up

i have a hunch that if one comes in under minimum wage including tips
there is a little bit of incentive to NOT discuss that with ones boss

since a discussion of 'i didn't get enough tips to break minumum wage'

could spark a discussion of 'i only keep the best servers and your tips suggest the customers don't like you, i'm letting you go'

[BiggJawn]

134. I think your scenario is probaly close to reality.

But the "Chattering Classes" of Very Important People tell us there's no Class War going on except for the one those Socialist rabble-rousers are trying to start by insisting that the Rich pay a fair share of taxes...

[w0nderer]

135. i agree, there is no class war

cause the exploited classes aren't fighting back a lot

if i get to shoot 4000 people without resistance, it's not war
it's genocide

that'd make this

# Define word
Economic-class-cide -- eco-Classicide -- classicide for short

once workers start demanding with a hard 'or else' and fighting back
that's when it becomes class war

that comes later, if it's let get to a boiling point it traditionally actually does become 'war'
(french revolution, chinese one, russian one and so on)
the harder the pay discrepancy and the longer it's maintained, the harsher the kick back

and if it gets there a lot of rich people don't live through it
which is probably why some rich people are out there offering to pay more taxes
they read enough history and group mentality to understand that boiling point is approaching
and are making a choice 'rather less of the pie,but more than most and alive than lose it all and die as well'

[dogfacedboy]

139. My wife's nephew makes $50-60K/year waiting tables at a high end restaurant near Chicago.

He's been there since getting out of college, and not finding a job in the field he studied for. 5 years now.

[tclambert]

102. Do you think Michelle Bachmann believes in tipping?

I'll bet she's memorized Mr. Pink's speech from Reservoir Dogs.

[justabob]

74. no kidding!! 2.13 an hour since 1991 when I started

waiting tables. We didn't even get a boost with the recent increases in min wage. Apparently we ARE getting a raise this year, according to the enforcement lady that came by a few weeks ago (checking that we had all the labor law/osha posters up). Waiters in Texas will be making a whopping 2.28 sometime this year. 15 cents. Woo hoo.

[Knight Hawk]

125. I am from that area they

probably agreed with her.I know,it does not make sense.

[SkatmanRoth]

19. Teaparty proposal to further increase the gap between the rich and the poor

Anyone surprised?

[McCamy Taylor]

20. If the corporate media is covering gaffes like this one, she is not the annointed candidate.

The GOP party line is "Jobs and Bread"

[perdita9]

22. Show us how it's done, Michele!!!

Take a minimum wage salary and then report back on how easy it is to make ends meet.

[goforit]

23. Yes, step up and get your min wage now Michele, scumbag!

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[area51]

50. Welcome to DU, roosterpack.

Unfortunately we need something like the Arab spring in order to get citizens' rights in this country. We're well on our way to becoming a third-world banana republic. According to this article, we have 30.5% unemployment, which is worse than in the 1930s.

[underpants]

25. I think that this is the only time since we have had it that an increase in the minimum wage did NOT

precipitate an over all increase in wages.

Bachmann they already have the game rigged enough but I guess "minimum wage" is the new Frank Luntz term for "black people".

[underpants]

26. "minimum wage" must be the new Frank Luntz tested phrase for "black people"

message received by the Tea Baggers I am sure

[JNelson6563]

80. lol Well said.

[liberal N proud]

27. Yet still there will be stupid voters who will support her

[SHRED]

30. Instead of going after trade laws and tariffs...

...our fearless "leaders" propose shit like this.

We are doomed.



--

[WinkyDink]

31. Our corporations already use prison labor.

[peacetalksforall]

32. I interpret it down, rather than up. No way would this narrow headed creature say up.

I hope all her children/foster children have excellent, stable jobs that offer longevity. For their sake.

[julian09]

120. all her children were born in a STABLE

her husband had nothing to do with it.

[spedtr90]

33. 2005 - she advocated getting rid of it. She's past the consideration stage.

"Literally, if we took away the minimum wage—if conceivably it was gone—we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level."

"If we allow businesses to be prosperous and accrue capital, they’ll be giving their employees more than they can even begin to imagine. But when we continue to tie cement blocks on businesses (like the minimum wage) and constrain them, they can actually do less than their employees."

—Michele Bachmann, 1/26/05, Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committee, testifying against SF 3, a bill to raise the MN minimum wage.

[nineteen50]

34. tariff

a service charge for selling foreign made goods in America.
the courts think corporations are people not gods. Wait maybe
they do.

[think]

36. Bachmann needs to be investigated for un-American activities...nt

[Fearless]

37. Slave labor... more so.

[jzodda]

38. 7.25 x 40= $290 a week

If jobs are going overseas b/c they do not want to pay minimum wage then we should not want them here. In fact if they do leave like that I would prohibit doing business with them at all. They should leave and take Bachmann with them.

[NikRik]

39. Amazing !

It never fails to shock me the sense of entitlement many of those at the top of the income earnings seem to have.Its as if they feel they deserve to make higher incomes and many times its off the backs of those at the bottom of the income list. You hear all of the same old sayings ,on how they made their own way ,which maybe true in many cases. However from those I know who earn the higher incomes it seems they always caught some kind of break or had help from someone. Everyone deserves a chance at earning more yet this wannabie would have those at the lower incomes making even less.Its already to low then to suggest lowering it even more so the hardest of workers amoung us can break their backs for even less $ is a sad comment on the lack of effort to improve the quality of life for the lower earners. What ever happen to new ideas and some imagination to think of a better way to raise the employment levels. Someone that is so simple minded that her best idea to bring jobs back is by make the poor even poorer. Shows me that this lady never knew what its like to struggle just to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.Lets give all of our senators and those in congress this new minimun wage first and then get their feelings on it after a month or so !
NikRik

[BiggJawn]

41. So does this mean that instead of having Apostates like me stoned to death...

... she'll offer me to Capital for the price of a cardboard box and a bowl of pig guts?

We already have prison labour competing with the non-incarcerated.

[pansypoo53219]

42. where is the MAXIMUM WAGE?

i think we HAVE to trim CEO's pay. and no more golden parachute. 60 days wage like the serfs. fuck the rite.

[NICO9000]

68. Thank you!

:yourock:

And if anybody has the nerve to mention a maximum wage, they're crucified on the "class warfare" altar.

[plumbob]

44. Why not go all the way?

[TatonkaJames]

45. I've never considered leaving the states

But that face can sway me easily, or her in the White HOuse will cement it.

[ronnie624]

46. "changes to the federal minimum wage"

"Changes"?

I wonder why the propagandist who wrote this article can't just come right out and say it.

[truth2power]

47. That's the stupidest GD thing I've ever heard...

Corporations are moving to other countries mainly because that's where the markets are.

Their interest in this society is shrinking. Pesi Cola, for example, makes more than half their profits outside the US. Why not move their production where the markets are?

I hate to keep nagging about this, but watch any of Richard Wolff's videos. They're lengthy, I know, but start somewhere and watch a few chunks. There's a talk he gave on 8/23/11, about as current as you can get: Deficits, Debts & Deceptions - Brecht Forum, that's outstanding. Watch a few minutes and then come back later. You'll be hooked.

At the top of his website today: www.rdwolff.com


That someone like Michele Bachmann can even have a hope of becoming president should be a source of embarrassment to the thinking populace of this country. :eyes:

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SoapBox]

49. We need a chant! "Let's make Bachmann a NO-TERM President!"

...billboards.

And, I think it needs to also be, "Let's make the Tea Party a ONE-TERM thing!"

[stockholmer]

52. Neoclassical Wage Restraint Madness-Steve Keen(ram this into the faces of advocates for LOWER wages)

http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/2009/01/03/neoclassical-wage-restraint-madness/

It had to happen: neoclassical economists are now advising that the anticipated recession will be much milder if only workers would accept wage cuts. When I saw this crisis was imminent in December 2005, one major factor that motivated me to go public with my analysis was the certainty that, when the crisis hit, neoclassical economists would either blame it on wages being too high (”the abolition of Work Choices caused the Depression!”), or would suggest that wages should be cut to reduce the imbalance between the supply of and demand for labour. The crisis hit too early, and was far too global, for the abolition of Work Choices to “cop it sweet”. But yesterday, in an OpEd in the Sydney Morning Herald, Mark Davis reported that “Economic modellers” had concluded that 1% cut in the rate of growth of wages will boost employment growth by half a percent:

Economic modellers reckon cutting aggregate wages growth by a percentage point boosts employment growth by half a percentage point. Some think it boosts employment more. In the current environment that could save more than 50,000 jobs.

Let’s extrapolate a bit here: given the standard increases in productivity and population, employment growth of about 2.5 percent is needed to keep the unemployment rate constant. So “economic modellers” (i.e. neoclassical economists) reckon that a 5 percent cut in the rate of wages growth would translate into a 2.5 percent boost to the rate of growth of employment. Since those same modellers are also anticipating growth slowing to about zero (but not negative of course–that would mean a recession, and as we all know, Australia is special and won’t suffer one), all we need to do to make sure Australia lucks out with both no recession AND no rise in unemployment is to … cut wages by one percent (since the current rate of growth of wages is close to 4 percent).

Nonsense. This is standard neoclassical economic thinking that if one lowers the price for a product (in this case, labour), more of it will be demanded. This thinking has some relevance when the market in question is that for, say, apples (though the basic “supply and demand” mathematics is false). But when the market you are talking about is Labour, even in the absence of debt, the thinking is only half baked................


snip

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Video with Keen explaining this and other economic fallacies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4yVhxDTom0

[Ozymanithrax]

53. Why not just grant deed and title of the worker to companies...

Companies could then lower labor costs to whatever point makes them orgasm in their boardrooms.

[Skink]

55. that's one way to unfund social security

[Capitalocracy]

58. If you try to compete with sweatshops,

even if you win, you lose.

[trusty elf]

60. How compassionate of her.

The minimum wage, calculated in 2010 dollars, has fallen considerably since it peaked in 1968.

[cstanleytech]

61. I wont be voting for her (Bachmann ) but I do question if the minimum wage is working

really, after all every time its raised businesses just raise their prices so in the end any raise in the wage gets sucked up and those who were earning a bit more than the minimum say 10 dollars an hour for example dont get a corresponding hike which means they earn less or atleast thats been my experience.
There just has to be a better way to get businesses to stop being so greedy and pay workers fairly I feel deep down but how to do it so no ones cheats in the end.........I just dont know.

[Ikonoklast]

92. Businesses have not been passing on minimum wage increases.

That is a mis-conception; take fast-food, for example. Compettion keeps those prices low, no matter the wages paid.

Corporations are against the minimum wage because they get to keep that money instead of paying it in wages, not because they'll be priced out of the market.

[stubtoe]

62. Better watch what's in your sandwich, Michelle...

I wouldn't say things like that at a restaurant.

[DreamSmoker]

63. OMG

This Bitch will run Gays right out of this Country and make Slaves of us all..

[MellowDem]

64. Tariffs would be bad for the US...

The tariff system did not protect the country for 200 years, being one of the few industrialized nations in the world did. All that tariffs did was protect certain industries with a lot of sway while hurting all other Americans. It wasn't hard to be competitive when we had a virtual monopoly on many industries.

Not that Bachman's answer is the solution either.

The solution is to take the money of those who are currently reaping the benefits of the economy and trade system (owners of capital) and use that money as a subsidy for those it hurts (manufacturing workers, service employees whose jobs are being shipped overseas etc.) for retraining to a new job and for social services to help them. Raising the minimum wage could help somewhat, but the reality is that companies would simply raise their prices in response, leading to a form of inflation you could say.

The solution is definitely NOT a "race to the bottom" promoted by so many conservatives. Europe has the right solution generally. Lots of social programs to help the working class, and high minimum wages (resulting in higher prices on a lot of things though). Subsidize those things that are necessary to survive and have a good economy (certain food, education, etc.) and leave the high prices for less necessary things.

[Cool Logic]

70. If our "free trade" agreements actually entailed free and fair trade...

I would agree with your line of reasoning with respect to tariffs. However, when our trade partners do not comply with the terms of our agreements, tariffs should be considered as a means of offsetting the results of their non-compliance.

For example, China has had a policy in place for years that artificially devalued their currency. This policy provides them an unfair advantage in their trading relationship with the US, as well as other nations.

Europe has the right solution generally.

Europe is the last place that anyone with an understanding of economics would look to for solutions.

[jerseyjack]

66. If the stupid bastids had studied harder in 8th grade, they wouldn't

be earning minimum wage. Serves 'em right. :sarcasm:

[DallasNE]

67. When I Graduated From High School In 1958

The minimum wage was $1.25 per hour. Adjusting for inflation would make the minimum wage $13.75 today and that doesn't factor in one penny for productivity gains over that period. Today's minimum wage for a 40 hour work week will pay just over $15,000 per year. Such a person would be getting Medicade coverage and food assistance, perhaps even a rent subsidy. Lowering the minimum wage would increase the cost to taxpayers for all of these programs as more people would qualify just so the wealthy can line their pockets more.

Let Bachmann try to live on that meager income.

[Trillo]

110. Shadows Stats calculator is interesting,

http://www.shadowstats.com/inflation_calculator?amount1=1.25&y1=1958&m1=1&y2=2011&m2=7&calc=Find+Out

Says by BLS statistics $1.25 in January of 1958 = $9.87 in July of 2011. But what is more interesting, is that by my pixel magic (ratios of "bar" image heights) of that Shadow Stats page, $1.25 in January of 1958 ≈ $34.37 in July of 2011.

For brief explanation of Williams work:
http://www.shadowstats.com/pdf/779-626538446.pdf

I'd guess that in 1958, the minimum wage was actually a living wage.

[jimlup]

72. Unless something bizarre happens this lady will never be president

Though something bizarre could happen between now and Nov. 2012 so I guess I am concerned.

[Buenaventura]

73. michele forgets: somebody has to buy the crap. n/t

[rasputin1952]

81. She should set the example and work for the minimum wage...

in fact, she should work for less than the minimum wage...pay the clown what she's worth...:D

[donquijoterocket]

82. prison labor

From reports I've read is already here and is an old, long-standing American tradition just not so overt and on such an industrial scale. I suspect this is really little more than BS crazy Shelley doing some further polishing of the fecal matter that is her bagger base.You've got to keep refreshing teh krazee or people forget. Outrageous statements regardless of her actual belief in them are her primary campaign strategy and about all she's got.Especially with goodhair now in the race you've got to increase the dosage to keep from being outflanked from the krazee side.

[TygrBright]

83. Lord have mercy, she is a cruel, stupid, evil being.

[Deep13]

84. Nice knowing you, Bachmann. nt

[Vinca]

86. I'm surprised the sandwich shop employees didn't throw a salami at her.

Lower the minimum wage . . . as if people earning it now are able to pay even 50% of their bills.

[Thor_MN]

96. The corndog was bad enough, I don't need to see her with a salami...

[geckosfeet]

87. Of course she would. Low age slavery is too good for poor people. Go all the way.

[judesedit]

88. Bachmann's an effing asshole to sum it up. She wants the majority of Americans to starve to death

so there's more for her. They try to say the average American income is $60+ thousand a year. Throw a couple of millionaires in with hundreds making $25,000 and you get the false results they give you. Wake up, American. You are being duped constantly and majorly laughed at by the rest of the world. Vote republican and make your kids dumber than you are. Watch.

Obama is trying to even out the tariff system, but the GOP keeps fighting him. Also, tax the hell out of companies leaving America for cheaper labor, no benefit provisions, no child labor or hours worked laws, no environmental regulations, and no monitoring. Lessen taxes for those staying in this country. Wake the hell up and stop watching bullshit FOX noise!

[nytemare]

89. How many minimum wage workers could she hire with her farm subsidies?

I bet she could hire many more with no minimum wage.

[napoleon_in_rags]

90. She's got to look at rent in China

You can get a nice apt For $300 a month in a lot of these Chinese cities, and other cost of living indices are lower. So their lower wages support a much higher standard of living than the same would bring here. So $5 wages will keep in you house and food in China, here they won't pay rent ALONE. That means renters have to lower rents, which means in many cases they can't pay mortgages which drive housing costs down, etc. etc. At the end of the day what you end up doing is crashing the prices of everything in the US to put us on a playing field with China, and a game on a level playing field with China is one we will lose. The number of people they have with IQ's in the top 15th percentile (very smart) is more than than we have people with above average intelligence, (top 50 percentile) so they are competitive to start, but then you throw in their government: single party, total control, rigging everything for Chinese interests.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

128. The smartest people I have met in Houston are from India and China.

Like they just happen to have a Ph.D. they earned over here in Texas, at Rice or A&M and they are modest about it.
I can see why India and China are eating our lunch in technology.

They are brilliant and they bust ass for an education.

You cross family education and religion in America, the highest earners/educated are Reform Jews and Hindus.

[napoleon_in_rags]

137. Cultural values in the right place, right there.

The reform Jews I have talked to just have a culture that really values education, communication. Right now I am a grad, but I want to go back to school, for more science. Its unbelievable I can't do it for free/easy loan... What I could offer to the economy with more knowledge blows away the cost of the investment. If people understood the investment education is, it wouldn't be so hard.

edit: I wanted to mention, the smart folks you meet is US's policy of bringing in brainiacs, and the thing I mentioned about smarties in china is simply a matter of population (15 smartest percent of 1 billion China pop. is 150 million, 50 smartest percent of 300 million US pop. is 150 million, the same) But I'm glad you brought up culture because that's also a huge factor here. I've heard from numerous sources and confirmed anecdotally that there is a scientific creativity deficit in the "push hard" asian science cultures... They know all the scientific rules but they are less inclined to push the envelope. What that tells me is now is a good time for the US to get crazy, to really go outside the envelope with science and make an asset out of our crazy free independent thought with science. We can't play their game and win, so we have to play our own game. We need to make an asset out of non-conformist culture, out of our creativity and madness. That's the only bet I can see here that really pays big.

[harvey007]

93. Welfare Queen

Get your freeloading ass off the government dole first, Michele.

[Sirveri]

95. Uhhh... We already have plenty of Prison labor.

It's actually kind of scary.

[lovuian]

97. Bachman showing her colors more and more

she won't go far

[workinclasszero]

99. Welfare Queen Bachmann

wants to cut the already pathetic wages of hard working Americans even more?

Teabag POS! :argh:

[oldbanjo]

100. A lower mininum wage would help their family farm make more money.

[Initech]

101. Teabagger standards for America: Fuck you, poor people.

:mad: :grr: :argh:

[ejpoeta]

103. really? ask her teabagger constituents or all those who want to compete with

other countries.... are you willing to work for 25cents an hour with no vacation, sick time, weekends? willing to work 16 hour days for 6 days a week? unless the answer is yes then shut the hell up about competing with other friggin countries. you know companies that have done and still do business here do business in countries with unions that pay more and have more benefits. and they comply too. hmmm... wonder why that is.

[KamaAina]

104. At this rate, we'll all be eating corndogs

[me b zola]

105. "Work will set you free"

This quote goes through my mind almost everyday as we are being told over and over that we just don't work hard enough and we have it too easy.

[justgamma]

106. That's pretty main stream puke thinking.

They voted do do away with the minimum wage on the Iowa Republican platform.

At one of Grassley's townhalls he told the people that we should bring our wages in line with China.
They make $2.00 a day and $3.00 for room and board doing the same job as I do.

[Hubert Flottz]

107. Now how in the Hell, will she do that?

Consider something without a brain?

[Guilded Lilly]

108. Imbecile.

[dogmoma56]

111. start by HER work'n minimum wage, make her Pension/medical start at 65.. or shut the fuck up..!!

[Zorra]

112. She's very crazy scary. If she was my neighbor I'd move, I'd worry that she'd poison

my dog or something like that.

[SammyWinstonJack]

113. That should get her votes.

:silly:

[OwnedByFerrets]

114. No, Shit for Brains, they outsource because the CEO's

want to buy another mansion or a third yacht. It has nothing to do with "saving" money, you fucking idiot.

[TBF]

115. I think it's time Congress works for minimum wage and has to pay for their own benefits -

then we'll see how long this nonsense lasts.

[defendandprotect]

116. We could pay all of Congress "minimum wage" .... until DEBT is reduced ... ????

Also cut their health benefits .... until DEBT is reduced ... ???

[Scottybeamer70]

117. "I'm not married to anything."...........

well, at least she got something right!!!!

[Hotler]

118. Bitch! n/t

[jmowreader]

119. In an old-fashioned communist country, this might work

If every worker was employed by the state, as "classical communism" calls for, reducing the workers' pay by five percent would save enough money to allow us to pay more workers with the same funding. They'd all be leaning on shovels because we wouldn't have any more work for them to do, you understand, but we could pay them.

In a capitalist country, where each enterprise pays its own employees from its own revenues, this won't work at all. Assume we reduced the pay of every worker in America by five percent. If I employ 10 people who all make $10 per hour, reducing them to $9.50 only saves me $5 per hour in labor costs--not enough to hire another person. However, since it would reduce the total amount of money in circulation in America by five percent, I would probably have to lay off a person because people would spend less money at my business.

The quickest and least painful way to increase employment in America would be to pick twenty Republican Senators and sixty Republican Representatives at random (so long as the random sample includes the entire Idaho congressional delegation, I'd be happy with it), throw them in jail and replace them with Democrats.

[ShockediSay]

121. Her picture here is worth a thousand words n/t

[ClosureHasCome]

122. Unbelievable, just like her presidential run. n/t

[unkachuck]

123. "The annual salary of a rank-and-file Representative in 2011 is $174,000."

....hey backmann, do you want to cut income? Let's start with Congressional pay.

"...and will consider anything that will help create jobs."

....remove the blood-sucking Republican leeches and their fascist policies from the backs of the American people and we'll have millions of new jobs....

[FLAprogressive]

127. I'd like to change the minimum wage too. I think it should be higher.

[and-justice-for-all]

129. batshit fucking insane and dumb as a post...nt

[ZombieHorde]

131. I really hope Obama wins in 2012. nt

[dogfacedboy]

138. Just one more reason to hate this worthless piece of trash Bachmann.