Mark Pryor Comes Out Against Federal Minimum Wage Hike

[silvershadow]

Source: Huffington Post

Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) has come out against a federal minimum wage increase that has the support of President Barack Obama, Senate Democrats and the majority of the American public.

"I know $10.10 still isn’t a whole lot of money, but I think it’s too much, too fast," Pryor told Bloomberg in an article published Thursday. "I’m not supportive of that."

Pryor is the first Senate Democrat to come out against raising the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour. He's currently locked in a competitive reelection battle with Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Bloomberg notes that the National Retail Federation and the National Restaurant Association are lobbying against the increase and have contributed to Pryor's campaign.

Arkansas is one of four states with a minimum wage below the federal level, though companies that do more than $500,000 in business each year must pay employees the federal wage, according to the state's Department of Labor. Pryor does back a state ballot initiative to raise Arkansas' minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.50 over three years.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/mark-pryor-minimum-wage_n_4739645.html

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Mods: Just barely over 12 hours old.

[RandySF]

1. Sure sign of a loser.

He's turned into Blanche Lincoln.

[merrily]

3. Blanche is fine, thanks, lobbying for Wal-Mart and Monsanto.

[silvershadow]

4. I think he may have some challengers, if I'm not mistaken. And it is Arkansas. But still,

these people are totally out of touch with costs of living. Even 10.10 is too low, and the time it takes to get there isn't helpful, either. How can he even defend his position?

[blkmusclmachine]

16. We don't need to be doing the GOP's work for the GOP. Let them own their own poison pills. NO phony

DC "bi-partisanship," which is code for "Screw you, Middle Class losers!"

[merrily]

2. Right to work state: Arkansas

http://www.nrtw.org/c/arrtwlaw.htm

If you don't want private unions negotiating higher wages for your employees, you sure as heck don't want the government doing it for them.

Arkansas, home of Wal-Mart and other low paying employers. They'll put big money on the Republican, but would more low wage earners come out and vote for someone supporting the minimum wage?

Meanwhile, red states continue to take money from blue states, in part because the likes of Wal-Mart do pay their workers so little.

[warrant46]

25. Just falling in line with the Orders of his Corporate Masters

[awoke_in_2003]

5. Good to know

democrats support the working class.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. HA

[Nanjing to Seoul]

6. Amazing that this tool is more concerned with his political seat than helping Americans.

Fuck him.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

9. In the late 1940s

E. Y. Harburg, the man who wrote the lyrics for the songs in The Wizard of Oz wrote a little poem, "Should I write a letter to my congressman?"

Each congressman has two ends,
A sitting and a thinking end.
But since his career depends upon his seat,
Why bother, friend?

[Nanjing to Seoul]

11. maybe because he thinks out of the same hole he shits out of as well.

Democrats like this we don't need.

[merrily]

27. Thank heaven he is the only one in D.C. with that priority, huh?

We are 350 million lucky ducks, we are!

[Nanjing to Seoul]

32. You want to support a DINO that's your business. Fuck this guy.

[SoapBox]

7. I say we put him (and all of Congress) on the current minimum wage.

...suck on that Mr. DINO.

[merrily]

28. Doubt it would bother them.

Between the perks of the actual job and the undying gratitude of so many corporations to them and their family members, they'd probably do okay. Then, there's the retirement plan--full pension and a well-paying lobbying job, maybe some punditry and political consulting work here and there. Politics have been very good to them.

[davidpdx]

8. Screw the bluedogs

[blkmusclmachine]

15. DINO all the way. Primary his sorry ass.

[NastyRiffraff]

19. Absolutely

There must be a Democrat better than this in Arkansas. This guy is immoral.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Pathetic ass. Not so much like a real Democrat. What a shame. n/t

[mdbl]

12. Arkansas, the land of WalMart

I guess that is who Pryor is trying to court with his anti labor stance. Courting right wing whackies in his state is Pryor's only skill. Oh and for a laugh, you can catch Pryor in Bill Maher's film Religulous.

[blkmusclmachine]

17. Always an excuse for the Johnny-come-latelies to the Party. The DEM tent is TOO DAMN BIG!!!

Kick these imposters back to the GOP!

[weissmam]

13. so he is a kiss ass

[Enthusiast]

18. What a dick!

[TRoN33]

20. Yet...

If the congress have a chance, they'd give themselves a big pay raises. Hypocrites.

[Triana]

21. The man is a whore working for himself and corporate pimps, not the people.

And he's not deserving of public office.

[mtasselin]

22. Ball less bastard

Senator Pryor you are a ball less bastard you do not deserve to be a US Senator. The people of your state are counting on you to do the right thing. Former Senator Lincoln did not do the right things when she was a senator either and that is why she is known as former senator, it is not to late to learn from your mistakes and grow a pair.

[Sunlei]

23. Arkansas' minimum wage $6.25 for small businesses and Pryor is against raising the $7.25 Federal

These wussie politicians should be paid the minimum wage.

[Kelvin Mace]

24. "I know $10.10 still isn’t a whole lot of money, but I think it’s too much, too fast,"

Spoken like a man making $81.73 and hour with outstanding benefits.

This is why I DON'T call myself a "Democrat". I am a liberal who votes for the occasional Democrat who happens to be liberal (which are damned few).

[SwankyXomb]

31. Is that amount presuming

he works a 40 hour week, 50 weeks a year? I don't think these hacks put in nearly that much time at their jobs.

[Kelvin Mace]

40. Yeah, I was giving the benefit of a doubt

If you count the REAL time they put in at the job (and I do NOT count campaigning and fundraising) in 2013, they "worked" 126 days, or 1008 hours. So that works out to $168.65 an hour.

During the same year, I worked an average of 60 hours a week, for a total of over 3000 hours for about a tenth the hourly rate and a fraction of the benefits.

[jsr]

26. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Walmart)

[Deep13]

29. asshole

Why should Arkansas voters choose a fake Republican when they can have a real one?

[freebrew]

30. What they don't tell you...

To a small employer or maybe someone just starting out, think of the obstacles he must face.

Business licenses, zoning bribes and building permits along with the payoffs required.

$10/hr might not seem like much, but this guy has to compete with Mexicans and Indians and Chinese
that work for much, much less. Thanks to the corporatists and the publicans, we are in a 'global' economy that allows other governments to treat their citizens like slaves and the big-business guys want the same rights here. So, they squeeze out invention, creativity and pride in the workplace. All at the same time requiring total loyalty to the 'company'.

Mostly though, it's asshat employers that want to make a fortune of their employees that are just leeches and must be lowlife because they work for the guy.

Rant over...

[ladjf]

33. I'm not condoning Pryor's position on the minimum wage issue, however

he is fighting unprecedented amounts of money put up by the Koch brothers who are trying to oust him. He is definitely running scared.

"....Starting today, residents in Arkansas will see a three-week ad campaign against Democratic Senator Mark Pryor for his support of the Affordable Care Act. Pryor is not exactly a far left Senator. In fact, he should be supported by the Koch brothers, given that he broke with President Obama and supported Wal-Mart by speaking out against a minimum wage increase"

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/after-purchasing-the-2010-midterms-koch-brothers-are-spending-even-more-on-2014/

This is happening all over the Country.

It used to be against the law to rig Federal elections. But, thanks to the "Supremes" it seems to be legal.

[Doctor_J]

36. But if he has to do things like this, how much are we getting by electing him?

What really needs to happen is for lots of radio stations to start exploding.

[Doctor_J]

34. There is no hope for this country in its current state

The Dems are the only hope, and with shitheads like this, we might as well just hand the keys over to the teabaggers.

Mr. President, act like a Dem, do what you said you'd do, and raise the fucking wage to $14.00/hr

[jsr]

35. +1

[Gman]

37. He's owned by Walmart

[warrant46]

38. Absolutely True about that Scum

[alp227]

39. alternate links for those not fond with Huffington

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/02/06/3256981/pryor-minimum-wage-opposition/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-06/wal-mart-ally-pryor-breaks-with-obama-on-wage-increase.html

[navarth]

41. This is the same moron that wasn't sure about evolution

in Bill Maher's 'Religulous'.

Fuck him in the eyesocket.

[Le Taz Hot]

42. I'm sorry, $10.10 an hour is TOO MUCH?

How much do you make per hour, Senator? We won't even get into the perqs, . . . free health care, free gym, the bri . . . er, campaign contributions . . .

I'm assuming he's doing this because he thinks that is what the people of Arkansas want, no minimum wage hike. Arkansans, is that accurate?