Small businesses hire the number of people they need to run the business. No more. No less. If you cut out a worker, you have that much less capacity to provide whatever it is you are selling. This is another example of right wing nonsense used to dupe a lot of americans who don't know any better to vote for the party of the rich and elite who put the needs of the rich above the needs of our poorest citizens. It makes me sick.

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would be to raise wages for the 98% of us who are not at the "top"...in addition to that, in my opinion, it would have been far better for the country had the wall street bail out been used to pay off consumer credit debt (not including mortgages) - which runs about 2 trillion dollars...and isn't that what we have given the banksters thus far??!! if consumer credit debt (and student loan debt)were wiped out that would create a financial windfall for many individuals who would now be able to use actual money (rather than more debt) to spur the economy...

now, i'm not suggesting the slate be wiped clean so that consumers can run up obscene credit card debt again...credit card limits should reflect what a consumer can reasonably be expected to pay back. but a better (read an actual living) wage should allow consumers to acquire what they need/want without resorting to credit.

perhaps when the election process is over, john mccain could go get himself a job as a wal-mart greeter, get a 'convenience' apartment and see if he can make ends meet on a minimum wage job...NO help from cindy or his gubment job, and he can only use medicare and whatever medi-gap insurance he can qualify for. bet he wouldn't last a week!

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I voted Obama, but I'm with McCain on this one, but for different reasons.

The minimum wage, is not useful to Americans. In a good economy, teenagers do for pocket money.

Its the economy stupid. It isn't that minimum wage isn't high enough, its that TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO LIVE ON MINIMUM WAGE.

The problem is the lack of REAL jobs.

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This same tired old argument has been used EVERY time that the minimum wage has been raised....and it has NEVER turned out to be true. As to the suggestions for McCain after the election...the Walmart greeter thing would not work. To nasty of a temper for that pressured of a job. Plus, even without Cindy's money he is a millionaire AND he has that $58,000 a year full disability pension coming in from the government every since he left the military. Kind of amazing to me that a multimillionaire who is very concerned about the economic health of the country, and who is diametrically opposed to "welfare" programs, would accept that check each month. Please note, I do NOT think that disability checks are welfare...just question the need for it in his case.

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The guy is generous enough to offer a $5000 tax credit for purposes of buying health insurance which costs a lot more than $5000. Now you want a raise too? This from a guy who has never seen a health insurance premium or needed a raise in his entire life. Thanks, John Boy. ANNA

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If the minimum wage is raised, then John and Cindy will have to pay more to their "help" to keep their 10 or so homes looking spiffy.

We can't have THAT.

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Why not? In addition to making life a little easier for a lot of folks, more tax revenue, due to the increased income, would ensue, helping the government fund education programs to lift people out of poverty.

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We raise ALL wages at least 10%, that fall under say $50,000. Raising the minimum wage does nothing for anybody but part time workers. I'm waiting for the day when the minimum wage catches up with me.

Give the small business community tax breaks to offset their increased payroll. We could even look at how much the average workers wages SHOULD have gone up in the past 30 years and bring them up to snuff. Hell, legislate a mandatory 10% wage decrease for the top earners to pay for a 10% increase for their employees. It would probably balance out and make up for the disparities over the last few decades.

Then link pay increases with not just cost of living but also productivity increases.

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