Yesterday, the Louisiana state legislature voted on a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage. Currently, Louisiana’s minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum wage rate: $7.25 per hour, or $15,000 per year. After taxes and other payroll deductions, the minimum wage earner likely brings home around $10,000 per year, less than $1,000 per month. Care to guess how they voted on the bill? Keep in mind that Louisiana is south of the Mason-Dixon line, sitting between Mississippi and Texas. Yep, they rejected the bill.
The failed bill would have gradually increased the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour in 2024 and to $14 an hour in 2028. Louisiana has the second-highest poverty rate in the country, with nearly 19% of the population impoverished, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state has a Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, but a majority Republican legislature. One of the legislators who voted against raising the minimum wage, Beryl Amedee, issued this utterly stupid statement:
“We’re trying to improve the lives of our residents in our state, especially those who have lower incomes. But I believe that the free market is taking care of this by offering jobs with higher wages. The real problem we have is that we have a lot of people in the state who are not qualified for higher skilled jobs, better paying jobs.”
Bullshit! Of course they’re not “qualified for higher skilled jobs” … they can’t afford to go to college and they’re too busy working three jobs!!!
Oh … but wait!!! The legislature did pass one bill to increase pay … their own!!! Now, admittedly their rate of pay was jaw-droppingly low: $16,800 per annum, not much more than the minimum wage. But they voted to raise their own pay by 238%, to $40,000 per year. So, the person pumping their gas, serving up their burgers at McDonald’s, or manufacturing their cars will continue to work three jobs just to feed their family, while the legislators will suddenly see something of a windfall. I sure am glad I don’t live anywhere in the southern half of this country!
This, my friends, is why it is criminal for the U.S. Congress to keep refusing to raise the federal minimum wage rate from $7.25 where it has stagnated since 2009, despite a rising cost of living. About 30 states have raised the state minimum wage, but obviously we cannot count on state legislatures, particularly in the south, to treat the average worker fairly. Take a look at the minimum wage rates for the 20 nations with the highest minimum wage:
Top 20 Countries with the highest minimum wage in 2020 (US$):
- Australia – $14.54
- Luxembourg – $13.67
- New Zealand – $13.18
- Monaco – $11.88
- Ireland – $11.54
- France – $11.46
- United Kingdom $11.37
- Netherlands – $11.21
- Belgium – $11.06
- Germany – $10.68
- San Marino – $10.55
- Canada – $10.33
- South Korea – $8.99
- Israel – $8.17
- Japan – $7.52
- Spain – $7.30
- United States $7.25
- Andorra – $6.72
- Slovenia – $5.84
- Taiwan – $5.26
We fall into 17th place … the United States that claims to be one of the best, most democratic countries in the world? HAH!!! It is time the United States Congress gets off their fat, overpaid arses and do their job!!!
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