Darrell Issa and Al Green Offer 2 Very Different Minimum Wage Bills
If you want to understand the difference between the Republican and the Democratic approach to economics, consider the two bills before the House of Representatives to deal with the minimum wage.
On the one hand is H.R. 283, the Living American Wage Act of 2011. Sponsored by Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas, the LAW Act begins with the observation that the cost to pay “average fair market rent for a 1-bedroom apartment” takes up more than 65% of the income of one person who works for the current minimum wage. Green notes that when family economic studies take into account other typical expenses such as education, food, clothing, and care for children, they conclude that the cost of affordable housing is 30% of income. The LAW Act concludes from these facts that at the very least the minimum wage should be enough that two people on the minimum wage can afford housing, and if passed would increase the minimum wage to reach that level.
On the other hand is Republican Representative Darrell Issa‘s minimum wage bill, H.R. 42. If passed, H.R. 42 would cut the minimum wage to $5.15. If an employer offers health care benefits to workers, they could cut minimum wage workers’ pay by the same amount. Minimum wage cuts are justified in the Issa bill by the need to provide employers rewards for hiring people to work for them.
Affordable housing needs and minimum wage increases vs. rewards for employers hiring employees in the form of minimum wage cuts: this is the distinction in the 112th Congress between Democratic and Republican economic policy.
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There are plenty of nice 1 bedroom apartments available in my city for $425/month. That is just a bit over 1/3 the minimum wage. For a family with kids small houses are available for about $700/month – inside 30% of the income of two minimum wage jobs. Unemployment here is historically below 4% but currently running 7% so there are jobs available.
If you are a minimum wage worker living in a high cost of living city with no jobs – MOVE.
… to the low-cost places to live, where there are fewer jobs: http://geocommons.com/maps/14526
You mention an out of the average circumstance.