It's not something you'll read often, but only one Dem crossed over to the Dark Side to vote for the sham minimum wage bill.
A Friday night vote on the minimum wage passed, but it did so with nearly zero support from Democrats, who should be congratulated on their steadfastness to the principle of a wage bill without any poison pill additions. It is being widely speculated that the bill will fail in the Senate. Let us hope so, and let us praise now the hard work of Democrats to really stick it to the GOP on this issue. They deserve a vigorous sticking-to.
And if you didn't already know, Chicago Dems just stuck it to the Beast of Bentonville by passing a veto-proof 'big box' wage hike. Nathan Newman has the goods if you're hankerin' for more. Wal-Mart's reaction? Why, they're threatening not to build any new stores in the only Illinois retail market as-yet unsaturated. Right. Newman lays that bilge-smelling heap to rest:
And while large retailers covered by the ordinance are making noises about not building new stores in the city, the reality is that after Santa Fe created a living wage of $9.50 per hour for large employers, Wal-Mart asked for approval to build a new Supercenter. The fact that leading retailer Costco already pays all its employees a living wage of $10 per hour plus benefits nationwide emphasizes that "big box" retailers can thrive paying a living wage. See this economic analysis of why the expansion drive by large retailers means higher wage standards will not deter their growth.