Is Bush Deaf?

He's going to be the last to act on raising the minimum wage

One would think that in the land of opportunity, if you worked hard for 40 or more hours a week, you should be able to take son to the dentist or buy your daughter basic school supplies. That seems like an American value that every one could agree upon. Yet no one in power at the federal level has raised the minimum raise for almost a decade.

How many of us would feel inspired to work harder without getting a raise at least once a decade? Has anybody ever considered that if working 40 hours actually brought a decent stardard of living, we might only have to subsidize agribusiness and the oil industry?

The right has been talking about shrinking that despicable federal government that tells everyone what to do. Well, it seems there are some things most people and and many state leaders agree need more regulation. States are increasingly regulating themselves, even at the risk of putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage. A number of cities and states have decided to require businesses to be more green, in use of fossil fuels for example.

Now the states have stopping waiting for the bozos in Washington to raise the minimum wage, instead to using it as a political football. The latest updating shows that 24 states have taken action to raise the minimum wages in their states.

Alaska: $7.15

Arkansas: $6.25 on 10/1/06

California: $6.75

Connecticut: $7.40, $7.65 on 1/1/07

Delaware: $6.15, $6.65 on 1/1/07; $7.15 on 1/1/08

DC: $7.00

Florida: $6.40 with annual inflation adjustment

Hawaii: $6.75, $7.25 on 1/1/07

Illinois: $6.50

Maine: $6.50, $6.75 on 10/1/06; $7.00 on 10/1/07

Maryland: $6.15

Massachusetts: $6.75; $7.50 on 1/1/07; $8.00 on 1/1/08

Minnesota: $6.15

Michigan: $6.95 on 10/1/06; $7.15 on 7/1/07; $7.40 on 7/1/08

New Jersey: $6.15; $7.15 on 10/1/06

New York: $6.75; $7.15 on 1/1/07

North Carolina: $6.15 on 1/1/07

Oregon: $7.50 with annual inflation adjustment

Pennsylvania: $6.25 on 1/1/07; $7.15 on 7/1/07 (For employers with 10 or fewer employees: $5.65 on 1/1/07; $6.65 on 7/1/07; $7.15 on 7/1/08)

Rhode Island: $7.10; $7.40 on 1/1/07

Vermont; $7.25, annual inflation adjustment

Washington: $7.63 WITH annual inflation adjustment

West Virginia*:$5.85; $6.55 on 7/1/07; $7.25 on 7/1/08

Wisconsin: $6.50

* Exemptions and definitions in West Virginia state law severely limit the scope of the higher minimum wage. The state coalition will work to expand the coverage in the 2007 legislative session.

Note: Minimum wage rates in italicized states will go above $5.15 later this year.

Where Federal and State law have different minimum wage rates, the higher standard applies. For state rates and regulations, see U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wage Laws in the States, http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm.

In 2004, Nevada voters approved a minimum wage increase to $6.15 with inflation indexing, but since the measure requires a constitutional amendment, it must go before voters again in 2006.

Produced by the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign
To learn more about this see States With Minimum Wage Above $5.15 Federal Rate

Is your state on the list? If not, why not? What are you going to do about it?