A hollow victory

Michigan's legislators passed an increase in Michigan's minimum wage which was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday that will raise our rate from $7.40 to $9.25 an hour over the next four years.  Some are hailing its importance because Michigan is the first state with republican legislators and a republican governor to pass such an increase since President Obama's call for a hike in the minimum wage to $10.10.

My ass.

What it is, once again (see also the Emergency Manager fiasco), is Michigan republicans doing an end around the will of the people.  See, on Wednesday, Progressive organizers are going to deliver 300,000 signatures to put an initiative on this November's  ballot calling for a $10.10 minimum wage (this measure probably kills the initiative, though no one knows for sure).  Since raising the minimum wage is universally popular and this initiative has an excellent chance of passing, what republicans have done is help pad the bottom line for Wal-Mart, Target, McDonald's, Burger King, et al, while costing hundreds of thousands of Michiganders up to $1700 a year (.85 cents per hour times forty hours a week times 52 weeks).

While republicans introduced the bill (extra perk:  it kills minimum wage as an issue for Democrat Mark Schauer in his uphill battle this year against the aforementioned Gov. Snyder), it passed because virtually all Democrats voted for it (about half of republicans voted for the measure).  How long do you suppose it is before republicans start running ads about how Democrats raised the minimum wage to only $9.25 when it could have been $10.10?

All of this intrigue would be entertaining were this a soap opera, but  we are talking about the financial well-being of real people.  Real people who, thanks to craven legislators, are going to get much less than they should have yet again.

Peace,
emaycee