I think a $15 min wage would be great

[BainsBane]

and I think Bernie should work on building support for its passage in the Senate, which in combination with the House actually makes law. Conventions don't make law. Congress does.

[Ken Burch]

1. Agreed that Congress makes law. But it's much harder to get laws passed

when the platform doesn't support them.

In her acceptance speech, HRC could help by explicitly stating that, on things like this where the platform is watered-down, she will sign(and at least pledge never to lobby in Congress against) legislation that goes farther than where she allows the platform to go.

[BainsBane]

2. I don't know anyone who has ever paid much attention to the Democratic platform before

except the GOP when they prattle on about nonsense like the removal of the world god. I don't recall its ever being an issue in recently elections. IMO, focusing on the platform is a way of making noise while accomplishing nothing. If elected representatives are serious about increasing the minimum wage, the place to press for it in congress. Now for ordinary delegates with no legislative authority, resolutions to the platform is how they express their concerns for what they want the party to do. That's why ordinary citizens introduce measures at the local caucus or county party level. In my state, it starts at the precinct caucus, goes to the state senate district level, that the US congressional district level, and then the state convention before being forwarded on to the National Convention. But when it comes to Senators and Congresspeople, they don't need to introduce resolutions to tell elected official tell what they care about: They can act on it. But of course that requires dealing with the reality of the composition of congress and a willingness to work with other Senators and House members to get a bill passed.

There is another key point, building coalitions in support of legislation or building support for specific additions to the party platform depend on having productive and amicable relationships with other members of the party. Without that, it is virtually impossible to accomplish anything. That's as true within parties as between them.

[Scootaloo]

9. If you don't care about the party platform, why are you engaged with the party?

[BainsBane]

13. Right. because the only thing that matters

is a document created every few years at a convention, not legislation, not policy, but the platform.

If the goal is to actually implement the $15 minimum wage, that is done in congress.

[Scootaloo]

14. You didn't answer the question

The platform is a statement of what the party stands for. If you don't care about that, what on earth are you doing here?

[BainsBane]

16. I disagree with the premise of your question

I don't decide what to care about because a politician tells me to.

Whether I'm HERE matters far less than the fact I WORK to get Democrats elected and have done so since 2004. I care about legislation that improves people's lives. The platform is a piece of paper. Legislation has actual impact. It also takes work to to build support among lawmakers for legislation, something elected officials are paid to do. If they expect for a measure to become law, they have to be willing to do the work necessary to get it passed.

So the platform may be nice, but it makes zero difference in people's lives. For that to happen, the minimum wage needs to be increased legally, by the congress. Anything else is posturing.

[Scootaloo]

17. Well then you clearly don't understand the premise of the question

If you do not care what the platform of the Democratic party is - the principles the party has decided it stands for - then why are you a Democrat? Why are you bothering with a party whose positions and stances you don't care about?

[joshcryer]

5. Ken, that is disingenuous at best.

The Democratic Party Platform has wanted to index the minimum wage to inflation ever since Ted Kennedy, under Bill Clinton, fought hard for it. If it was indexed it would be $12 now. We're talking decades since they wanted to do this. It's not a big controversial thing.

[Cha]

3. Thank you, BB!

[SunSeeker]

4. K & R

[joshcryer]

6. I think indexing it to inflation is a start.

Though $21 is really where it needs to be at due to productivity increases: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/minimum-wage-productivity_n_2680639.html

[BainsBane]

11. Oh, yeah. Indexing is key.

Totally agree.

[Surya Gayatri]

7. Thanks for the reality check...

[Scootaloo]

8. I think the Democratic party needs to get on board

Which from later reports, seems to be the case. Good.

[BainsBane]

12. It's in the platform

but to be in people's paychecks in needs to be passed by congress.

[betsuni]

10. K&R

[Rex]

15. It is a good start, I agree.

Entry level call center jobs pay 12 - 16 an hour and that is considered a good paying job.

[Nevernose]

18. That and paid vacation, paid maternity leave

We are the only country (other than New Guinea) that doesn't have paid maternity leave. The only one. Most nations have paid vacation time, too.

You can't even honestly say these things would hurt business or be bad for the economy, since apparently paid leave time works in literally every other country on Earth.