A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
Walmart’s starting wage, at least in Kalispell, is $11/hour. Hillary Clinton thinks that’s not enough. Today she endorsed legislation by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) to increase the federal minimum wage to $12/hour, indexed to inflation.
Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley, her rivals for the Democratic nomination for President, support raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour. So in some cases does Hillary, reports the Huffington Post, but not in all cases:
Clinton has said previously that a $15 minimum wage, which is fast becoming a reality in pricy cities like Seattle and Los Angeles, may not make sense for less dense areas with lower costs of living. She said she supported the recent move by the wage board of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to recommend a $15 minimum wage for fast-food workers in that state. But she has also said such a level may not be appropriate nationally.
The $15 proposal grew directly out of the union-backed Fight for $15 campaign, which has organized strikes by fast-food workers around the country over the past three years. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who are vying with Clinton for the Democratic nomination, have both come out in support of a federal minimum wage of $15. Just last week, Sanders introduced a $15 minimum wage bill in the Senate.
This is why Wall Street sort of loves Hillary. She won’t bust the bank for employers by requiring that they pay a minimum wage on which an adult can (just barely) live.
What a profile in Clinton courage. She bucks organized labor by not proposing to overpay the poor, and bucks the big box boys by implying that Walmart’s not paying enough. All hail triangulation. Buddy, you don’t really need $15/hour. Just take personal responsibility and find a job that pays better.