Minimum Wage: A Pe-lousy Policy
Friday, 27 July 2007 by Joscelynn TomawYesterday Free Exchange harkened back to a juicy bit of political duplicity that is too good to pass up:
Back in January, the Washington Post reported on a minor foofaraw in Congress when Democrats attempted to bring the Northern Marianas Islands under the new federal minimum wage regulations, now that interests on the islands were no longer under the protection of Republican super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Republicans in turn accused Democrats of a double standard for exempting American Samoa, where canneries, such as those owned by tuna giant Starkist, employ about 40% of the workforce at an average wage of $3.60 per hour—well under the new minimum. It turns out that Starkist is owned by Del Monte Foods, which is headquartered in San Francisco, which is represented in the House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The post goes on to discuss the measures Del Monte may take to mitigate the increased cost of labor, including moving its canneries out of Samoa. I’m certain that enlightened Samoans will thank Speaker Pelosi and her minimum wage happy friends for lowering their hourly wage from $3.60 to $0. I’m hopeful that their employer will deliver the message for them.
July 29th, 2007 at 15:43
Hey Jake! Just found this little blog here.
I’m grateful that I finally officially know how to spell “foofaraw.” Is that like a brew-ha-ha?
Anyway, political favors being handed out to friends/family/co-workers/past-major-contractors-having-direct-ties-to-important-heads of state? Not in this administration!? Perhaps the speaker took a page from the book of the guy that presides over the over half of our bicameral government?
July 29th, 2007 at 20:07
Hey! It’s my post, Chris!
You mean like Robert Bird, Democrat, West Virginia? No, there’s no denying she’s not alone in handing out favors.
I challenge you to use foofaraw seven times today!
August 1st, 2007 at 12:19
Sorry, Jos, for the foofaraw of not giving credit where it was due. Robert Byrd is a blight on American politics, and has been for 50 years. The foofaraw over his personal involvement in the KKK aside, he is a symbol of “old politics” that fails to update itself to the new millennium. If I might say, without too much foofaraw, I believe Byrd’s record is more akin to lean toward conservative than otherwise. Southern Democrats tend to be more conservative than their brethren (like how Arnold and Guiliani are more liberal). Byrd was vocal against Clinton (Bill), stands firmly against Gay marriage (or even rights, like the ability to serve in the military), and supported many of Bush’s appointees. He was against the Iraq war, but that was a relatively bipartisan issue.
Truth be told, this executive administration has been one of the worst in political pandering and back scratching. Look at the foofaraw over Gonzalez, the 150 positions given to dubiously qualified grads from Regent University (surely in exchange for Pat Robertson’s support of the Neo-Cons, John Ashcroft even went to work there), Halliburton, and the mysterious lack of action to limit rising Gas prices (despite the fact that oil companies are making record prices and that Bush’s family has major contacts in the oil business). Seems a bit weak to point fingers at Pelosi without pointing fingers above. Pelosi may be misguided, but it is par for the Washington course.
Foofarawlly yours,
Foofaraw - notice this word is similar to Tomaw.