Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Political Shell Game


For the last 10 years the Democrats have trying to get a minimum wage increase for the working poor of this country only to see it shot down repeatedly. In a country where the cost of everything has gone up except for labor, it's good to see that a light is finally being shined on it.

But, the Republicans are playing a dangerous political shell game right now. In hopes of scoring points with the rich and the poor, they are setting the Democrats up for a fight. Hopefully people see through it.

Basically, what's going in is this: The Republicans have set forth a bill marrying the preposterous and ill-conceived abolition of the estate tax (I wrote about this some a couple of months ago) with a much needed increase in the Federal minimum wage.

The Republicans do not want the minimum wage to increase and sane human beings with an eye on fiscal affairs realize that aboloshing the estate tax would be decidedly stupid, especially in these times of Republican over-spending. What they are gambling on, is that the Democrats will shoot the bill down in order to keep the estate tax and then run out to the campaign loudspeakers and shout from the top of the highest mountain that the Democrats are against raising the minimum wage, vote Republican.

It's a cheap trick.

It angers me to no end to see politicians playing with the welfare of our working class with such a cavalier attitude. The working class, those who vote and need the minimum wage hike are being used as pawns in this devlish (admittedly clever, but decidedly immoral) game of politics.

My suggestion? Call your Senator and have them call out their elected representatives on it. Tell them that dirty politics will get them a one-way ticket back home.

Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, you have to admit that it's dodgy political manuevering like this (from both sides) are the reason real progress in our country can't be attained.

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