Rep. Florida Senate Candidates for keeping poor - poor

[democrat in Tallahassee]

I'm watching a debate among the Repugs running for Senate in Florida.

They seem to be unanimous in their opposition to raising the minimum wage in Florida...

"Don't you know that raising the minimum wage will hurt poor people..."

[Sugarbleus]

1. Is that "double speak?" Geeez

"Don't you know that raising the minimum wage will hurt poor people..."

It's all over the country that way, DIT. Some states have reps doing a bit better on their behalf but overall we are getting screwed.

Keep writing your reps or Dem reps in high places--congress et al. These issues have to be constantly addressed. While we watch the election events, the trolls go about their gutting tactics at state and federal level under the radar.

Best, SB

[Nicholas_J]

2. Fortunately

It is note in the control of the elected officials but is going to be directly voted on by the public. One of the highest petition signature counts in the state of Florida got it on the ballot with over a million signatures being gotten to put this on the ballot to amend the Florida COnstitution to raise the minimum wage to 6.15 AND to have an annual cost of living adjustment to it. Polls indicate that 70 percent of the voters support this increase in the minmum wage and the cost of living adjustment. Florida has one of the largest percentages of its citizens working for minumum wage (all of those service industry jobs)

This article from a Florida Paper:

Voters get chance to raise pay in state


A new poll shows Floridians favor amendment raising minimum wage to $6.15.


By GREGORY RICHARDS
The Times-Union
Florida voters will have the chance in November to raise the state's minimum wage by $1, to $6.15, a possibility that has workers cheering and some business owners groaning. A new poll shows Floridians to be overwhelmingly in the workers' camp.

That opportunity is possible because of a ballot initiative led by Floridians For All, an umbrella group of labor and public interest groups including the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, which represents low- and moderate-income families. The group gathered nearly 1 million signatures and passed a Florida Supreme Court review to place Amendment 5 in voting booths Nov. 2.

Seventy-two percent of Floridians favor the amendment, according to an exclusive survey conducted Monday through Wednesday by Research 2000 for The Florida Times-Union and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The poll also found 16 percent opposing the measure and 12 percent unsure.

The raise would push Florida's minimum wage above the national rate of $5.15, which has remained unchanged since 1997. If passed, it would be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation and would go into effect in May.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/082704/me...

MoveOn helped with this getting on the ballot(I ran into people collecting signatures who beleonged to both MoveOn and one of the other Florida groups sposoring the referendum).

Just goes to show you, Republicans will oppose the direct will of the majority of the voters and the will of the people everytime in order to favor big business. Nothing makes that clearer than their opposition to this legislation, so obviously favored by nearly three out of four Floridians. This bill is going to pass with no effort whatsover, and Jeb Bush will sut their trying to figure out ways to not enact it, as he tried with the classroom size amendment, and the free preschool amendment in 20002. This is going to be far more difficult to avoid, as this time around, they places dates that the increased wages must go into effect into the amendments.

It doesnt really even matter if those who were polled do not all vote, because the percentage supporting the legislation was so large, that even a lot of no shows in the voting groups will not have enough of an effect to keep the amendment from passing.

simply amazing. I never thought I would see Florida Voters get the gumption to do something like this, but since the election fiasco in 2000, the average voter doesnt seem to want to ever take a screwing like that again in this state. I am surprised that the average voters in this stte didnt simply mindlessly agree with Republicans, and the brother of the anointed one on this issue, but they are opposing conservatives and business on this one in a very big way.