minimum wage for congress is a cute idea for propaganda purposes, but it's really not realistic. Since then, however, the labor market has changed considerably. Sure. Lots of politicians already have money from their previous jobs as lawyers or private businessmen. Everything sucks but she still takes the job because she loves to teach children. Republican opinion on this issue is more divided, but a majority of Republicans and Republican leaners - 57% - oppose raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, including nearly three-in-ten (29%) who say they are strongly against it. Lifelong campaigner for the restoration of Scotland's independence. He is up for re election in 2020. Wages have increased due to worker shortages, pushing entry-level jobs to $15 an hour or more. There was a time, not so very long ago, when MPs were not paid. People living in areas where the state-level minimum wage is currently $12 or higher are more likely than others to say they favor a federal increase to $15 an hour. There may be some people who say no, and that perhaps ends the conversation with them. Which, rather obviously, meant that the independent wealthy were massively over-represented while everyone else was woefully under-represented. Good job. Heres whats going to happen: Theyre going to have to lay people off. Gov. I think this would be a good way to make sure that people get into politics to make things change for the better. Councilmember Byron Lee speaks at a Jefferson Parish Council meeting in Gretna on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. Any article on this website may be republished in whole or part on condition only that Peter A Bell is acknowledged as the author and/or the source is identified as www.peterabell.scot.If you would like to make a donation to help with the running costs of this site, please click here. Minimum wage should be enough that anyone can afford at least basic shelter and necessities with a little room for saving or emergency expenses. The president is in command of the military and has the power to reject or approve the legislation. Having been raised in the British Virgin Islands, all I really want is to get back home. She wishes politicians in Washington, debating whether minimum wage should be $10, $11 or $15 per hour, lived a day like she does with almost two hours on a bus, just to get to work. But there is more to democracy than just voting once every few years. In fact, it may accomplish the opposite. You end up costing jobs from people who are at the bottom rung of the economic ladder. Rep. Paul Ryan on Feb. 13, A full days hard work should be enough to keep you and your family out of poverty. It's not completely dumb on its face, but yeah as you look into it more and more it becomes increasingly stupid. Unfortunately, not enough people grow up in shit conditions in order to make up a government. That should alarm you. Lastly, congressional pay should be tied to the minimum wage. The mayor has veto (can overrule other votes) authority over the council, which has legislative power. The point of paying politicians a good wage is that we get the best talent. Either that, or only those who are always wealthy become politicians. I don't, however, believe they should be paid out the ass with added bonuses for doing nothing but wasting taxpayer dollars. These people earn every single penny they get. If the intern spends all their time fetching coffee or sweeping, how much can they really be learning? I'm saying that true motivation for change comes from something past profit, and can't be measured by paying these people minimum wage. Why do we want to make it harder for small employers to hire people? House Speaker John Boehner on Feb. 14, The bottom has fallen out of Americas wage floor. You are using an out of date browser. Among those who opposeraising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, a substantial majority (71%) say the federal minimum wage should be increased, but that the standard should be less than $15 an hour; those who hold this view account for 27% of the overall public. The healthcare sucks. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. But even so, all of the people you've mentioned were victims of injustices. Let's raise the minimum wage to a living wage! ESL Debates 2022 - All rights reserved. They can elect judges and other government officials, as well as veto legislation. The point is to pay them enough so that they don't take bribes. Entering politics means putting your life in danger as well. The . Evidently that premise has failed. As well as other services like security, education, and health. (LogOut/ For example, David Amess, a British Member of Parliament, was stabbed many times at a meeting with constituents in a church in eastern England. as for minimum wage, i actually sort of like that since we are the ones paying for their salaries. There are more than enough of all resources to go around to everyone, but in the current situation things will go downhill if the slightest thing is changed. And it is a process. If you go somewhere housing is cheap, minimum wage is less to reflect that. The benefits suck. And the evidence is overwhelmingly positive: Hiking the minimum wage has little or no adverse effect on employment while significantly increasing workers earnings. Paul Krugman in The New York Times on Dec. 2, We are proud to stand with the workers who continue to fight for an economy that works for everyone. Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said she thinks "everybody's on board with increasing the hourly rate," but it all comes down to cost. About seven-in-ten adults in these places (69%) favor raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, compared with 59% of those living in places with a minimum wage of less than $12 an hour. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and National Employment Law Project Director Christine Owens in a joint op-ed on Dec. 3, I do think we need to increase the minimum wage. A $10-hour minimum wage boosts earnings by $4,000 a year and will put $2.6 billion dollars back into the hands of workers. California Assembly Speaker John Prez on the passage of a bill to increase Californias minimum wage, on Sept. 11, I want people to make a lot more than $9 $9 is not enough. Most people will never see this kind of money over their entire lifetimes. You get less of it. Argument replies (both in favor and in opposition) are displayed below the original argument. They should be paid the median american salary. Half of our congresspeople are millionaires, three of those assholes sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock before the market could crash, When running for office they must divulge to the public, There needs to be a limit on how much money any individual is allowed to donate to a campaign. After 90 consecutive days of employment or the employee reaches 20 years of age, whichever comes first, the employee must receive a . Agency Says Law Needs Change. Ive recently learned that SC Rep Joe Cunningham voted against Democrats and WITH republicans to vote AGAINST increasing the minimum wage to 15$ an hour. I'd like to see the data that supports your statement that politicians are smarter than janitors and wal-mart cashiers - what is your baseline? Will you do the same? Furthermore it would drastically shrink the number of people who run for elections in the exact opposite way you would likely hope for. Smart people regularly volunteer, and granted that the current income for being a politician is far below most politicians current net-worth, few do it for the money currently. The strongest periods of economic growth in the 20th century were also times when incomes rose across the board. Obama adviser and former Bill Clinton chief of staff John Podesta in POLITICO Magazine on Dec. 6, [W]e have a lot of evidence on what happens when you raise the minimum wage. Exactly. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. If the fact MPs salaries have increased eight times in the last ten years while the real terms salaries of nurses andcarers have been slasheddoesnt make you angry you should check your chest cavity for the presence of a heart and your brain for evidence of a conscience. We all make sacrifices for the things we truly care about, and if you want the responsibility of governing your neighbours you need to be willing to let go of some thingslike the prospect of becoming rich. View all posts by Peter A Bell. They are in charge of the administration, appointing and dismissing department heads. Parish hires consultant to study pay plan, Jefferson councilman: Its shameful parish department doesnt recommend increasing parish workers minimum wage, The New Orleans City Council ratifies $15 hourly minimum wage for city workers, 'Living wage' rate for city contractors backed by New Orleans City Council; see pay changes. At that point only established people who can rely on other incomes (e.g. I think its time that OUR ELECTED are paid what they think its ok to pay us. Ive recently learned that SC Rep Joe Cunningham voted against Democrats and WITH republicans to vote AGAINST increasing the minimum wage to 15$ an hour. For instance, if you are an important politician that needs to attend a meeting all over the world, you will be able to travel the world for free. (LogOut/ All politicians should be paid minimum wage. Politicians are public servants, hence the main mission of their political activity must be to benefit the people. This is what we called a political dynasty wherein members of the same family are elected to various offices in the same order or at the same time to preserve their wealth and power. It would weed out the crooked ones that are only in politics for the money (which is gotten ridiculously extreme), and the ones left would be the ones there to make a difference. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA In addition, some politicians see politics as a family career or business because of the high amount of money you can get from it. Doubling an MEPs salary decreased by 15% the chance that an MEP had attended a college ranked in the top 500 in the world. We raise that minimum wage and we move forward with the vision of this president that we have, which is everyone pays their fair share. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) on Aug. 26, The minimum wage has not kept pace with rising costs. The researchers consider the effects of a salary increase on some members of the European Parliament (MEPs). About four-in-ten (38%) say they oppose the proposal, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 5-11. Interesting, since you have neither met me nor most politicians (i'm guessing that you didn't, correct me if I'm wrong). So yes, lowering wages for politicians would solve many problems. I felt this needed a response. No opinion humble. The president is paid $400,000 a year as commander-in-chief of the country. If this is your first time checking out a debate, here are some quick tips to help get you started: I think everyone should be able to live off of the least paying jobs we have. and i find it kind of bad that the government will tell people how to pay their employees private property anyone? In order to secure a permit, the company offered the public official a huge amount of money in exchange for the permit. In fact, they earn way more than they get. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told MSNBCs Alex Wagner on Dec. 5. They could find a similar level of power and control elsewhere while having more money. If politicians wages were linked to the minimum wage, it would be 15 pound per hour by now. Politicians will raise the minimum wage to whatever they are comfortable being paid, how many people would lose their jobs if minimum wage was raised to $50/hr. This forces politicians to appeal to. Though, I agree that it would make it significantly worse. Talker. According to a study by Professor Emir Kamenica, along with colleagues from Columbia University, Princeton University, and DONG Energy, raising politicians salaries is unlikely to result in better governance. Secondly, politicians generally set their own salaries. Do it for minimum wage. We might even be paying a fitting wage to health and social care workers. More than half of Americans who favor a $15 federal minimum wage (54%) say that if there is not enough congressional support for such an increase this year, Congress should prioritize increasing the wage even if the new wage is significantly less than $15. Jerry Brown in a signing statement for a bill to increase California's minimum wage to $10 an hour, on Sept. 11 "The real winner here is the economy. If you wish to become a politician then you should be in there for the correct reason if this means that you have low pay then so be it. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, If You Want Better Politicians, Pay Them Less. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, though many states have higher minimum wages. "[Martin Luther King, Jr.] would want us to celebrate him, his birth and his legacy by acting upon his agenda, by realizing the dream, by making the minimum wage a living wage, by having not just family and medical leave, but paid sick leave for our workers, [and] by having quality, affordable child care so that our families, the power of women can be unleashed in our economy and in our society. Rep. Nancy Pelosi on the 50th Anniversary of MLKs I Have a Dream speech. Thats why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, 19 states have chosen to bump theirs even higher. Change). This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. Black adults in particular stand out for their support: 89% favor raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, including 73% who support the idea strongly. Our politicians are supposed to represent their constituents and, in aggregate, to represent society as a whole. And it should be very focused on that because, as you said, Republicans in the rest of the country are for it. former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs on MSNBC on Dec. 11, This tough-love, winner-take-all narrative dominating policymaking is far too limited a way to think about how a complex, modern, diverse economy like ours expands and thrives. User content, unless source quoted, licensed under a. Each pay grade has its own salary range, and employees get paid, in part, based on how long they've been employed. They are after all are supposed to be public servants. The $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage is a starvation wage," said Senator Sanders. CreateDebate is a social debate community built around ideas, discussion and democracy. Different jobs can be equally important for very different reasons. Politicians should get paid minimum wage. I sure love being able to bribe a politician with a couple hundred bucks! A pay raise may also be the reason for back pay. I don't believe they should be paid minimum wage considering their job requires a specific set of skills and experience. A countrys political system reflects the peoples way of living. Politics, whatever you think of it, requires a certain mindset and a certain set of skills that most likely don't exist in minimum wage workers. So only those people directly affected by horrid conditions are motivated to advocate for change? Force them to live off minimum wage and watch how many of the scum leave. Perhaps in theory, and in a rational market, it would make sense to pay politicians more. From fast-food workers striking last week to lawmakers in Congress debating the minimum wage, income inequality has launched back into the public eye recently. I would suggest, however, that this and other instances of entrenched social inequity will not be more effectively or more speedily corrected by making our democracy work even less well than it does. while intrinsic value is important, in reality it doesn't go that far except for people who have no other options. We readily recognise the importance of voter participation and strive to make access to the electoral process as wide and easy as possible. This legislation is overdue and will help families that are struggling in this harsh economy. Gov. Other than making minimum wage actually possible to live on, paying minimum wage would guarantee that politicians are in government not for the money, but because they are interested in sharing their ideas and making the country a better place, regardless of politics. That is the whole point. All that they need to be paid is parliamentary allowance to help them with their work instead of raking hundreds of our dollars. Those elected before 2004 receive an annual pension of between $150,000 and $200,000 a year. We welcome anyone and everyone to register & become a member of our awesome community. This should indeed be greeted with derisiveness, considering Brazil's average per capita GDP is less than. He has to go. with the raise of minimum wage, it won't exactly increase spending but just help with spending in very specific areas. In other nations, a system with corruption and incompetence leads to poor public services. but we would need to first get them in office, which no smart person will do. If they were forced to work for minimum wage, then they would change things because they are used to living like kings and queens, literally. We have a ton of content and fresh stuff is constantly being added. most corporations will miss out, and will have to raise their prices in order to keep up with the increased minimum wage. Those who represent us should be expected to represent us honestly and should live relatively like us and so work for what we want and need. They would make it a living wage some how. That aspect of democracy was open only to the independently wealthy. This petition will be shared with Rep Cunningham and other interest groups. Workers With Disabilities Can Earn Just $3.34 An Hour. Lets get the facts straight, only 20 percent of people making the minimum wage are teenagers. Social imbalances are rarely, if ever, corrected quickly. Maybe by finding ways to lower cost. Yes, business' would have to pay their employee's more, but they would also be getting a lot more business because of all the disposable income that everyone will have. A majority of White supporters of a $15 federal minimum wage, by contrast, say Congress should work for an increase in the minimum wage even if it is less than $15 an hour. Obviously the system is a little broken right now but paying them shit won't help that lol. They obviously already had motivation to make change. It's . Anyone pulling up in a BMW getting audited, they only ever fight for the people who pay them the most. But they should not have other employment as consultants, executive directors of shell companies or whatever. Listener. It would be cool if societies were willing to do something as drastic as this. 2 thoughts on " Should politicians be paid less? Privacy & Cookies Notice I'm not saying you are right or wrong, just that you don't have data to support this statement. If they are paid by the hour, maybe they will get in there as actually do some work.

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