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These Angry Protesters Are Targeting Hillary At Tonight’s Debate… She’s Going To HATE Why
Supporters of a federally mandated $15 minimum wage plan to protest at Thursday night’s Democratic presidential primary debate in Milwaukee.
Not surprisingly, Democrat socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders supports the proposal. Rival Hillary Clinton, however, has indicated she would not go above a $12 minimum wage at this time.
The union-backed “Fight for $15” movement plans to protest the debate in support of the policy, the Daily Caller reports.
“They have to decide whether to feed themselves or their kids, so they’re not concerned with political parties or whether a candidate is running for city council or president,” Fight for $15 organizing director Kendall Fells told Fox News 6 in Milwaukee. “They care about two things: Getting $15 an hour and the right to unionize. It’s about getting out of poverty.”
Sanders started a petition this week calling on Democratic candidates to support the $15 minimum wage, which appeared to be directed at Clinton. The former secretary of state has supported localities deciding whether the $15 minimum wage is right for them.
.@BernieSanders promises to raise minimum wage to $15 in #NHPrimary victory speech https://t.co/wX4LsVFCNN https://t.co/vkqB2IgMc4
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 10, 2016
As reported by Western Journalism, last year Seattle became the first major city in the country to mandate a $15 minimum wage, which is being phased in over the next few years. The new law appears to have already hit the restaurant industry the hardest, due to the tight profit margins (around 4 percent) that are common in that category. Multiple restaurants have closed or changed their staffing or hours.
“Some restaurants have tacked on a 15 percent surcharge to cover the higher wages. And some managers are no longer encouraging customers to tip, leading to a redistribution of income. Workers in the back of the kitchen, such as dishwashers and cooks, are getting paid more, but servers who rely on tips are seeing a pay cut,” Fox News reported.
Anthony Anton, president and CEO of Washington Restaurant Association stated, “It’s not a political problem; it’s a math problem.”
Private businesses, unlike government entities (which, in theory, can always raise taxes or borrow), must make more than they spend in order to pay the rent, make payroll, keep the lights on, pay their business taxes, and, heaven forbid, have some left over for the owners and investors who are taking the risk and putting in the long hours.
The Heritage Foundation notes the minimum wage is usually for new workers, with a low percentage of Americans receiving it. The organization also points out some other interesting statistics:
- Over half of minimum-wage earners are between the ages of 16 and 24.
- Two-thirds of minimum-wage workers earn raises within a year — without the government’s help.
- Only 2.9 percent of wage earners earn the federal minimum wage.
- Most minimum-wage earners are teenagers or young adults, not heads of families.
- Two-thirds work part time (defined as less than 35 hours a week).
- Two-thirds of minimum-wage workers live in families with incomes above 150 percent of the poverty line.
- Just 4 percent of minimum-wage workers are single parents working full time, compared to 5.6 percent of all U.S. workers.
The current federally mandated minimum wage is $7.25, though over half the states have set a higher amount, usually ranging between $8 and $10.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is currently pushing for his state to become the first in the nation to require a $15 minimum.
Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/these-angry-protesters-are-targeting-hillary-at-tonights-debate-shes-going-to-hate-why/
