Steve Benen notes that we're starting to see
Village trial balloons on lowering the minimum wage.
In these difficult economic times, there's nothing wrong with some outside-the-box thinking. But it seems the Conservative Idea of the Week is to improve the economy but slashing the minimum wage. And there's something definitely wrong with that.
The Washington Post's Charles Lane recommended a minimum-wage cut in an op-ed yesterday. Fox News quickly embraced the idea.
Well, it's a stupid idea on a number of fronts. Will the GOP bite?
As far as I can tell, congressional Republicans have not yet embraced the idea -- given that the minimum wage tends to be pretty popular, the GOP would have to tread carefully -- but it's something to keep an eye on. Indeed, if anyone sees GOP lawmakers call for cutting the minimum wage, let me know.
Won't happen for two reasons:
- GOP won't risk their pissing off the populists, and
- Will lowering people's wages make workers more or less likely to need taxpayer-funded social programs?
This trial balloon is going nowhere.
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