Does anybody know why congress refuses to raise the minimum wage?

Question

I'm completely baffled that they turn a blind eye to their constituents. $5.15 an hour is the federal minimum wage. Who can actually live on that? They constantly vote to raise their own salaries, but when it comes to the rest of the country they act like $5 is enough to live on. Then you hear them campaigning saying they want to work for you and that if we vote for them they'll get us the benefits we deserve as Americans. It makes me feel like it's all a big lie. As if our country is a big lie, being lead by liars, being lied to constantly, lying about reasons to go to war. What's their excuse to not raise the minimum wage?

Answer 1

The larger the number of people that can be overpowered by what the leaders dictate, the more power they usurp from their followers. That's just politics. They say only what they think we want to hear, right before elections, but afterwards they continue to ignore the masses, and the issues.
The more people they can hold under the poverty level, the more of those held at that level feel powerless, the more power they can gain for themselves, and it becomes a monster.
Not everyone can win in this game. The less people who believe in the American Dream, the less people there are to oppose them. When people lose hope of realizing their dream, the less likely they are to fight back and make a stand.
So eventually, most of those who lose out time after time feel they are owed something, and sometimes the only way to win anything is to take advantage of the system. So the gap between the rich and poor grows.

Answer 2

Raising the wage thought goverment intervention is poor idea because it raises prices on items you buy at a small restuarant, and a better idea is for full-time workers over the age 25 to increase the income the tax credits transfers to the working poor.
Give cash transfer to 150% above the poverty line to the poorest of workers, and set up a system of incentive for the lowest paid to get job training, and eduction so they dont have to make this amount of money. Should help the poor through cash transfers than goverment mandates on business. Can set this system up with tax rates in place now at the Federal level by shiftin money from farm subidies to income subidies here, and cutting pork projects to pay for it. Also, probadly should cut off welfare when possible with workfare of requirement of working fulltime.

One more point to make also tell these poor income earners to get a education and better jobs, yet a business can go over India to idea pay a person with a 4 yr degree in computering science like 1200 a month . We to look at the whole picture of goverment fiscal and income policies, and high taxes do create disincentive to work actually. Its a catch 22, but dont buy the lefts agrument 100% or the right arguement because its not a black and white issuse. Education reform is really needed because how many people with degrees end up working a job that pays less than my job. Its a total social policy failure by the goverment here its all tie into one. Can educate people with all PHds but they still outsource the jobs because of wage differentals between countries.

Answer 3

Because raising the minimum wage does nothing other than raise prices. Here is Arkansas they just raised the minimum wage and I went into the video store the other day and they had a sign up that said "Due to the minimum wage increase we had to raise the price on our movie rentals." The cost is just passed on to the consumer. The best way to increase your standard of living is to become more educated instead of the socialist idea of having the government control it.

Answer 4

Sad to say but raising the minimum wage just produces a vicious circle. When salaries are raised the cost of products or services are raised to make adjustments for the increase that business owners pay out in wages.

Answer 5

You asking a question about E-C-O-N-O-M-I-C-S...do you understand what this term means?

You see, it would be nice if the world conformed to neat little leftist cliches, but once you dig into the meat of the issue, you see a whole other story. In other words, this question is very well understood by legtimate E-C-O-N-O-M-I-S-T-S. Im not against the minumum wage being raised from a social fairness point of view, but only on a objective economic analysis view point.

Study this in depth you simple tiny little simpleton, and stop falling for the populist political slogans from dishonest democrats. Yes, there are some greedy conservatives, just as there are greedy liberals, but this issue has nothing whatsoever to do with that garbage you idiot. Whats good for the economy is best for all of us, including low wage earners....especially them.

Answer 6

It's not meant to be a livable wage. That's not the purpose for it. If people want to make more, all they have to do is gain some kind of marketable skill, sitting around waiting for a undeserved raise does not show people are actually willing to work hard for a living.

Answer 7

Its hard to live on any salary especially in NY. If you make $5.15 an hour in NY my best advice would be to move out of state. Its hard for me who makes $40. per hr in NY. You need more experience or a good education.

Answer 8

Eight times the republican congress has raised their own pay since they raise the minimum wage. Poverty level is about $19,000 per year, minimum wage pay comes to under $12,000.

Answer 9

Congress refuses to raise the minimum wage because the business lobby throws gobs of cash at them not to.

Answer 10

daydoom has it "bassakwards." It's the Reps, now in control, who are not raising it. Republicans are the ones who are all for the rich and letting the poor get poorer.