Child laborers. Image from http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/31/154895/gop-loves-child-labor/
Earlier this year, the newly elected Republicans in New Hampshire overrode the veto of Democratic Governor John Lynch to push through a new minimum wage restriction law that lowers the minimum wage to the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
But Republican State Representative Carol McGuire still thinks the federal level is too high. In a statement to journalists, she stated that she would like to repeal all minimum wage laws and allow corporations to pay workers whatever rate they want. She also said the $7.25 minimum is overly generous to young people who are “not worth the minimum“:
“It’s very discriminatory, particularly for young people. They’re not worth the minimum,” she said. She believes there are young people who would get a job if they could be paid $5 an hour instead of the minimum.
This kind of accusation that “young people” are “not worth the minimum” is yet another sucker punch from Republicans to the youth of America. Young people across the country should be outraged by such statements. Most young people work hard in minimum wage jobs to support their families and save for college. And this serves as a greater warning to the poor and middle class as a whole as well. If federal minimum wage laws are repealed, American workers would be nothing more than feudal serfs working for pennies so that the corporate noblemen can get wealthier. The American economy would be even worse than it is now because people are already struggling to survive WITH minimum wage. How the hell do Republicans think Americans will survive without it? This is class warfare, pure and simple. And it’s time for middle class and poor Americans to fire back mercilessly at the greedy corporations, Republican politicians, and wealthy jerks that want to take even more money and spending power away from them.
Dear Addictinginfo,
Speaking of which, im 28 yrs old my hubby is33 we have 2 boys 10 & 9 yrs old i have a uncle in new hampshire and he is willing to sponsor me and my whole family to stay with them but what should i do?
Thx.
I’m guessing miss priss has never had to work her way through anything. The day is coming when protests against this kind of garbage thinking by the elite will turn from peaceful, to deadly. I hope they remember their words when we force them down their throats.
Well, interesting point of view. However, it’s terribly inaccurate from any realistic point of view. Why should a 15 year old kid get the same wages as someone who bust their rear? Let’s face it, they don’t hold the same occupational value as an adult. I’m a worker, I work 40hrs a week, and now I’m going to go to school so I can make more money. Thats the way it works, if you aren’t as skilled as someone else, you don’t get paid what they do. Why is this so hard to understand? I make $9/hr at a fast food place. Ive worked my tail off for 3 years, and started at minimum wage. Why should someone who is 15 or 16, and cant even legally run a grill or use knives if they’re under 16, why should they make what I make, when I can do those things which they cannot? Oh and by they way, I’ve been working since I was 15. I’m just the average american trying to make a living, and people trying to make other people as valuable as I am, through legislation, is an outrage. We are what we make ourselves. We may need help at times, but it’s up to other people if they want to help you, you can’t force them. I know personally, if I were a business owner, I would hire an 18 year old at 7.25 before I would hire a 16 year old a 7.25 simply because they are more capable. Simple, right?
It’s been going on for decades. I worked as a dishwasher for one of the local tourist traps when I was 15. Back then, the minimum wage was $1.60. Because I was a minor, though, I could be paid $1.25.
ALEC and the Koch brothers score again. Well, If they think they can keep this up….look up the Bourgeois Revolutions of France and Russia…. It will take a bit of time, if we are lucky it will only happen in the ballot booth. If not, it will most likely be nasty.
I got let’s cut the wages of the governor and the legislatore to minium wage and since they don’t work 40hrs a week they don’t get vacation time or sick pay. See how they like that!
and I suppose this woman is worth every penny of the 200+ thousand she is probably making? Voters, take names and kick ass at the ballot box! Taking back America one stupid person at a time!
I started working at the age of 12, with a paper route. I then moved to McDonald’s at 16, where I busted my ass and worked harder than many of the adults who were forging a career there. Not worth it my ass…I think politicians aren’t worth their over-bloated salaries and endless perks…they all need to go to hell, so over their crap…
I hope the voters of New Hampshire come to the conclusion that Ms. McGuire is “not worth” their votes..
Amazing that these politicians don’t realize they’re cutting their own throats— Do they not realize that they’re creating a new generation of activists by trying to screw these kids? It’s a win-win for business in New Hampshire- they’ll be able to hire teenagers for less than Minimum Wage who will displace the middle-aged workers who have taken the McJobs because there’s nothing else…
We’re dangerously close to a tipping point in this country, and people aren’t going to take this kind of anti-worker legislation lying down. Our so-called representatives had better wake up and get with the real program, because we’re almost to the point where no amount of SuperPAC money will be able to get these clowns re-elected…
They’re on vacation.
Two words explain the work performance of MOST 20-whatever’s…..
*participation trophies*.
Now for my Greedy Old Perverts bash of the day……of course Republinazi are against a first-class minimum wage. They believe that they are the only people who deserve to be paid for working AND everyone who works for them should be a slave, working for free.
no. FUCK YOU GOP! im a freain datacenter technician and build engineer. i make MINIMUM WAGE and can BARELY survive. i never know if ill be able to pay my rent, i survive off one goddamn meal a day, which is usually chinese food because its dirt cheap. and you want to take away my meager earnings? i have 1 thing to say. gtfo. or i will make you.
Many states already have an exception to the minimum wage law that allows minors to be paid a considerable amount less than their adult counterparts, usually for the first 30-90 days of being employed… I’ve never seen an employer take use of this personally, however, because most of them would simply go to a different employer that does pay the minimum wage.
As an adult, I am outraged that anyone in government would say such a thing. I’ve seen many teens, often times at their first jobs, busting more butt than the adults working in the same job. There are plenty of lazy slags who are adults working jobs… Obviously, Rep. McGuire has never been forced out of her comfort zone or taken a stroll outside of her own office without the rose colored glasses.
Wake up or sod off, lady.
I’m not even from NH and you disgust me.
Just the fact that this is even being brought up had better wake up the middle of the roader’s.
So young people who do not get jobs at $7.25 will look for work if they can work for $5. Hmmm…
Has it not become obvious yet what the goal of these anti-humans is? They want it ALL, and they’re not even embarrassed about it…
hammer meet nail head.