Bill proposes wage increase
David Taintor
Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: News
State Democratic Senate majority leader Russel Decker recently announced he will send a bill to the floor in January that promises to raise Wisconsin's minimum wage by more than one dollar to $7.60 per hour.
Decker's proposed wage increase would include indexing, which means the minimum wage would be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation rates.
Carrie Lynch, Decker's press secretary, said Decker thinks too often it takes too long to raise the minimum wage and there has been a 10-year gap since it was last raised.
"It shouldn't be a political battle with people caught in the middle every year," she said.
Senior Russel Dass believes raising the minimum wage is a very good idea. He said with the rising price of gas, heat and food, an increase would help students out a lot.
He said the minimum wage increase would increase spending and help stimulate the economy.
Sen. Pat Kreitlow said indexing protects the purchasing power of the lowest paid workers.
"When you don't index, as inflation goes higher, the working poor get even poorer … and that's certainly not good for the economy," Kreitlow said.
Dass highlighted one example - candy bars costing more in vending machines on campus these days - saying the value of his money has diminished as prices have risen.
Lynch said Wisconsin is in the minority of states that have a minimum wage that is lower than the federal level of $6.55 per hour. She said raising minimum wage would help equalize Wisconsin with other states.
She also said it is a misconception that teenagers are most affected by minimum wage. She said the majority of workers making minimum wage are adults, and that single mothers would benefit most from the increase.
Kreitlow said the increase would mean greater purchasing power for college students. He said it could mean more hours dedicated to their education and fewer hours spent working to make ends meet.
Senior Petros Eshetu said if the minimum wage is increased, it might cause some businesses to maintain fewer positions because they are paying higher wages. Instead of five people holding positions at any given business, it might now be four, because of the higher wages, he said.
Overall, Eshetu said it would be a good thing. When production price goes up, companies have to find ways to be more competitive, he said.
The proposed minimum wage increase would include tax credits for some small businesses, Kreitlow said. He said some believe raising the minimum wage is a kind of class welfare, but he disagrees.
"You have to look at both sides of the equation," Kreitlow said. "For too long Republicans wanted to focus on the employer, Democrats wanted to focus on the employee side. We need people from both parties to understand that we need people that look at both sides."
Lynch said college students making slightly higher than minimum wage might also benefit from the increase. When the minimum wage goes up, other wages at a similar level generally see an increase too.
Decker's proposed wage increase would include indexing, which means the minimum wage would be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation rates.
Carrie Lynch, Decker's press secretary, said Decker thinks too often it takes too long to raise the minimum wage and there has been a 10-year gap since it was last raised.
"It shouldn't be a political battle with people caught in the middle every year," she said.
Senior Russel Dass believes raising the minimum wage is a very good idea. He said with the rising price of gas, heat and food, an increase would help students out a lot.
He said the minimum wage increase would increase spending and help stimulate the economy.
Sen. Pat Kreitlow said indexing protects the purchasing power of the lowest paid workers.
"When you don't index, as inflation goes higher, the working poor get even poorer … and that's certainly not good for the economy," Kreitlow said.
Dass highlighted one example - candy bars costing more in vending machines on campus these days - saying the value of his money has diminished as prices have risen.
Lynch said Wisconsin is in the minority of states that have a minimum wage that is lower than the federal level of $6.55 per hour. She said raising minimum wage would help equalize Wisconsin with other states.
She also said it is a misconception that teenagers are most affected by minimum wage. She said the majority of workers making minimum wage are adults, and that single mothers would benefit most from the increase.
Kreitlow said the increase would mean greater purchasing power for college students. He said it could mean more hours dedicated to their education and fewer hours spent working to make ends meet.
Senior Petros Eshetu said if the minimum wage is increased, it might cause some businesses to maintain fewer positions because they are paying higher wages. Instead of five people holding positions at any given business, it might now be four, because of the higher wages, he said.
Overall, Eshetu said it would be a good thing. When production price goes up, companies have to find ways to be more competitive, he said.
The proposed minimum wage increase would include tax credits for some small businesses, Kreitlow said. He said some believe raising the minimum wage is a kind of class welfare, but he disagrees.
"You have to look at both sides of the equation," Kreitlow said. "For too long Republicans wanted to focus on the employer, Democrats wanted to focus on the employee side. We need people from both parties to understand that we need people that look at both sides."
Lynch said college students making slightly higher than minimum wage might also benefit from the increase. When the minimum wage goes up, other wages at a similar level generally see an increase too.
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