Democrats should adopt these ideas from the Greens

[inthebrain]

I was perusing some of their candidates in other states. After Nov 7 I say we make a push for the Democrats to push legislation that;

1) Increases the minimum wage to 16-18 dollars an hour. I know most economies are local but it's time we put a stop to that. It's immoral when corporation forces labor to compete against non existent standards in other countries, the same can be said of states where the wages are lower.

In places like MA, rents are at a minimum $1000 a month (That's just for a studio). Lets not even get into mortgages. Increasing the minimum wage helps local businesses by increasing consumer spending. We could enact temp price freezes on certain items to keep corporations from taking advantage. This helps consumers who want to invest that money into their communities and spend it local businesses who have a hard time competing with the Wal Marts.

2) BRING BACK SOLAR PANELS. The movement to solar energy began in the eighties and needs to be revitalized. Offer loans so people can install them. With the savings in energy costs, consumers can pay them back in 3-7 years.

3) Investing in solar panels creates jobs!!!!! People are needed to intall them and devolpers are needed to improive technology.

4) Individual wind power for every home. See solar panels above!!!!!

Write letters to your congressmen, governors and state legislature to push this through. Getting Republicans out and Dems in is half the battle. Keeping them in office is another story!!!!

Also, ideas such as these keeps our oponents on the defensive. They like to pretend they stand for working folks? I'd like to see them fight these off and convince Americans why they don't deserve a living wage and why they don't deserve energy independence.

Think Global warming!!!! Republicans have been working overtime to convince Americans that it doesn't exist. They lost!!!!! They have also tryed convincing people that the minimum wage is not needed. They will lose that battle as well.

Once we put them down. Let's keep them down.

[BruceMcF]

1. Big supporter of using Al Gore's 'Connie Mae' idea ...

... to help accomplish 2, 3 and 4 above.

Putting the minimum wage higher than the present median wage, I don't think that's viable. Why don't we start with getting the minimum wage over the 2 person poverty line for someone working 40 hours / week, 50 weeks a year. Get that in place first, and then start putting in place policies to reverse the Great Divide between the have mores and everyone else.

[inthebrain]

3. The idea is that you pitch high

because you are going to wind up setteling lower in the middle ground. If you pitch at 16-18 your more than likely to land between 12-14.

We also have to look at the poverty line and be realistic about it. Currently, it's unrealistic. In states like MA and NY, it needs to be reset to 33,000 - 38,000 annually. As a single person with no kids it's a struggle to get by on that. Especially if your rent is cheap (about $1000 a month).

Not to mention that many areas are impoverished because the corporations take on the Wal Mart model. That drives local busnesses out. Local businesses may offer higher prices but they offer better services. Choice and competition is driven when consumers can afford those choices.

Conservative know all to well that nothing is free. Cheap items and services always have a hidden cost. It's time we drove their own message back at them.

[BrotherBuzz]

2. The Greens are welcome to bring their ideas to the Big Tent and...

make their pitch. The longest journey starts with a single step.

[inthebrain]

4. bump

[inthebrain]

5. bump

[Infinite Hope]

6. You must not know anything about economics...

a minimum wage that high would literally crash the economy. Every small business who has a need for even 1 employee would fold and inflation would be so catastrophically high that we would be TRULY living in 1930's Germany, carrying around a wagon full of cash just for a loaf of bread. It would go well with our lack of liberties, but that's about it. That suggestion is absolutely insane.

[inthebrain]

7. Oh really Mr economic expert

You open a small business and have a choice where to start up;

1) Where the minumum wage is $5.75 an hour and all of it goes into living expenses.

2) Where the minumum wage is $16.00 and the working stiffs have disposable income.

Time to face facts. You're a supply sider. More people would rather spend their cash at a local business where the service is better than at chain stores. Not only is the service better, the money stays in the community. The folks bleeding our communities of small business are not the ones raising labor costs, they are the ones reducing them. Those are the chain stores.

Over the last 30 years wages have declines and prices have increased steadily. There is plenty of money to go around.