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Obama to raise federal minimum wage via executive order

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by roxxfan, Jan 28, 2014.

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  1. tallanvor

    tallanvor Member

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    no it doesn't. Read the definition.
     
  2. Classic

    Classic Member

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    agreed

    It's just a headline affecting a fringe # of people.

    I can see how this would be a momentum builder though, politically.
     
  3. Major

    Major Member

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    Sure, Congress can do things. And so can the Executive. This is something completely under the purview of the Executive. Besides, this has nothing to do with federal employees. It has to do with employees of private companies trying to win federal contracts - something that the Executive branch routinely sets terms for. All that's happening here if that the terms are changing.


    So your basis of what Congress should be involved in is based on time consumed?
     
  4. tallanvor

    tallanvor Member

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    besides certain military action I would prefer legislation always come from my elected representatives in Congress (particularly any legislation that spends tax payer dollars and/or restricts rights/freedoms ). Obviously time does not allow for this. No, time is not the deciding factor of what Congress should be involved in.
     
  5. Major

    Major Member

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    Here is the 1800 page document of regulations regarding federal contracting - everything from the bidding process to accounting rules to environmental and labor rules:

    http://www.acquisition.gov/FAR/

    Do you think Congress should be involved everytime this document changes? Obama's change involves adding 1 new regulation to this.
     
  6. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

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    He doesn't have to pass through Congress to sign an executive order. It's like saying you're skirting Denver by flying from Houston to New York.
     
  7. tallanvor

    tallanvor Member

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    1 new regulation that spends a few million tax payer dollars each year. I think Congress should vote on that.
     
  8. subtomic

    subtomic Member

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    Congress can still pass legislation to raise the minimum wage for federal employees because that's NOT what Obama has done here. Federal employees working for $7.25 per hr will still make $7.25 per hr. So will minimum wage employees working under existing service contracts with the federal government.

    However, for all new service contracts with the federal government, companies will need to pay at least $10.10 per hr (or if it's an independent contractor, the government can't pay them less than $10.10 per hr).

    So the next time the government accepts bids for cleaning the Capitol, the companies seeking the contract will have to pay their employees $10.10 per hr. But the company that provides catering via a contract that runs through 2016 can still pay $7.25.

    All of this is well within the rights of the executive branch. It seems rather ironic that many of our so-called strict constructionists now want the President to go beyond the Constitution just because they so hate the idea of anyone that's not a CEO getting paid more.
     
  9. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    So can anybody tell me how many people this will impact? How many people will see a bump in pay due to this?
     
  10. Space Ghost

    Space Ghost Member

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    Exactly! Its ridiculous. I wonder if this will affect any government contractor as they usually do not usually pay minimum wage in the first place.

    All show.
     
  11. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

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    Neither did I. I'm not talking about authority, but appropriate use of governmental power. It is appropriate for the Executive branch to dictate the contract terms to the contractors they are employing. For the Legislative branch to do so is micromanaging. There is some legislation that does so for policy reasons (like quotas for minority-owned businesses), and I think that can be okay -- a legislative minimum wage, for example, would apply to those workers too and that's fine. But, let's just be clear who owns what ground. The Legislature doesn't own the contract relationships with contractors, the Executive does. So Obama isn't skirting Congress. If Congress passed a law on wage standards for just federal contractors, they'd be skirting the President (aside from his veto power). If they want to, fine; it's legal. Just a little unseemly.

    Legislating how tax dollars are spent is the role of Congress -- they do so by setting a budget. They do not get in the nitty-gritty of how contractors are managed, nor should they. They aren't equipped to handle it.
     
  12. GladiatoRowdy

    GladiatoRowdy Member

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    Not nearly enough, but with the GOP obstructing, it is the best he can do.
     
  13. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    So this would impact the "Edward Snowden types" who are working as federal government contractors? I can't imagine many at all working for less than this today...
     
  14. wekko368

    wekko368 Member

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    Both parties have been unwilling to compromise, and it started with Obamacare.
     
  15. Dubious

    Dubious Member

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    Horsesh*** Obamacare IS the compromise, how else did you think it passed?
    It is what the Insurance Lobby told Republican Congressmen to pass.
     
  16. Amiga

    Amiga Member

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    That might be what you been told or lead to believe. The truth is obamacare started already on a compromised platform (it was a republican idea remember). Yes, it does start with Obamacare. It show that the Republican was very serious about not allowing anything to move forward.
     
  17. wekko368

    wekko368 Member

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    Obamacare was the compromise? How many Republicans voted in favor of it?
     
  18. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    You're ignorant of how Obamacare passed. Go back and research it.
     
  19. geeimsobored

    geeimsobored Member

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    You do realize the federal government pays private contractors to manage janitorial services/cafeteria services/etc.. All of which involve low wage labor that would benefit from this.

    The NSA isn't the only source of private contractors.
     
  20. Amiga

    Amiga Member

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    Symbolic move at this time and I assume it can be reversed by future admin. But that's all he got left to do since it's quite clear Congress will not do anything.

    The question I have is, even if all federal employee gets a raise to the new min wage he's proposing, how much does that cost? And how much does it costs when you consider the total picture (how many folks will be moved out of federal support systems which should lower the overall costs)?

    I think like the idea of raising the min wage by the fed government first and let the private sector catch on later (or not if it turns out to be unsuccessful).
     

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