Monday, April 25, 2005

GOP v. minimum wage: A mystery

Lest there be any doubt that Wisconsin Republicans are on the wrong side of the minimum wage issue, a recent poll shows overwhelming support for raising the rate.

Most significant is that the support was across the political spectrum.

Overall, 603 respondents to the statewide survey favored the raise by a 71-12 margin, with 16% undecided.

Among those who did have an opinion the results were remarkable. Republicans favored it 73-27, independents 83-17, and Democrats 97-3.

People who describe themselves as conservatives support the raise 71-29, with moderates at 89-11 and liberals at 96-4.

State Senate Republicans have blocked the bill to raise the rate from $5.15 to $6.50, and have sent it off to a committee chaired by State Sen. Tom Reynolds, who refuses to even hold a hearing.

Those Republicans are tone deaf to their own base. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) support the raise, as does the Wis. Merchants Federation, Wis. Restaurant Assn., and other business groups. Business and industry were members of the committee that recommended the raise.

And now Republican voters across the state say they support it by a margin of almost 3 to 1.

It is hard to understand what purpose the GOPers think they're serving. It is not even in their own self-interest to block the raise. The more they stall, the more it looks like a simple case of meanness.

The poll was done by a class of undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Although student polls are always somewhat suspect, the results in this case are so clear that even if the margin of error is high the results would still heavily favor the raise.

Poll results.

Meanwhile, in another setback for the GOP, a Dane County circuit judge has upheld the local minimum wage ordinance passed by the City of Madison.

Madison, Milwaukee and LaCrosse have passed their own wage ordinances because of a lack of state action, and in hopes of putting some pressure on the legislature to act. No one really wants different rates every time you go from one community to another. But if the legislature won't do the right thing, we can expect more communities to act.

As a reaction, Republicans have been pushing a bill to outlaw local minimum wage ordinances, which would remove the pressure point in future sessions. The Gov has promised to veto that bill.

Which brings us back to the main question: Why doesn't the GOP just do the right thing and pass the bill recommended by the advisory committee to begin with?

With poll numbers like the ones we saw this week, you can bet Dems will use the issue to beat Repubs over the head in the '06 campaign.

What's with the GOP? Why are they so wrong-headed on this issue? What am I missing?

UPDATE: Another take on the subject from Tom Sheehan of the LaCrosse Tribune. Link

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