Obama Has Been Speechless on Minimum Wage | Black Agenda Report

Obama Has Been Speechless on Minimum Wage

05 Sep 2012

🖨️ Print Article

A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

The Democrats cannot even articulate the most basic bread-and-butter issues, like raising the minimum wage. That's because their standard bearer “has not said anything meaningful about the minimum wage since he was campaigning for president in 2008.” Raising the wage floor is hugely popular, a good issue to run on – but not pleasing to the rich, and therefore a no-no for Obama.

Obama Has Been Speechless on Minimum Wage

A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

“The lowest wage sector now accounts for almost 60 percent of job growth.”

The impoverishment of politics in the Age of Obama has been nothing short of amazing. This president has so suppressed every vestigial remnant of progressivism in the political discourse, that the most fundamental bread and butter issues have become taboo. I’m talking about raising the federal minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2007, the year before the bottom fell out of the economy.

A new study shows that the Great Recession was most destructive of decent-paying jobs, the middle tier where working people earned between about $14 and $21 an hour. That’s where sixty percent of job losses occurred between 2008 and 2010, and most of those jobs have not come back. Instead, the greatest increase in jobs has come in the low-wage sector, with a median pay from $7.69 – just above the federal minimum – to $13.83 an hour. The lowest wage sector now accounts for almost 60 percent of job growth, with traditionally bad-paying jobs in food preparation and retail sales leading the way.

High unemployment, on top of the disappearance of living wage jobs. You would think that in an election year, the party that is most identified with working people and folks that need to find work would be screaming at the top of their lungs: Raise the minimum wage! But, you will hear little or nothing of that from the Democratic convention festivities in Charlotte.

“Poll numbers show huge public support for an increase, including among lots of Republicans.”

It’s not that the delegates are unaware of the crying need for a higher minimum wage. The Democratic platform – for what its worth – declares that “we will raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation.” However, it doesn’t say how much, or when. And that’s in deference to the party’s standard bearer, who has not said anything meaningful about the minimum wage since he was campaigning for president in 2008. Back then, Obama promised to work to raise the minimum to $9.50 by 2011. Then he got elected, and we heard nothing more about it.

When the president is mum on an issue, then the party faithful put themselves on mute. There are bills in the House and the Senate to raise the minimum wage – the best one is sponsored by Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., calling for an immediate $10 an hour minimum, tied to inflation. But, there’s no chance of these bills going anywhere without the cooperation of Democratic leadership. Ralph Nader and others have beseeched party leaders to break the silence, but they don’t dare raise the issue for fear of embarrassing their President.

Apologists for Obama will claim that pushing for a $10 minimum wage indexed to inflation – or any significant raise – would hurt his chances for re-election. But the poll numbers show differently, with huge public support for an increase, including among lots of Republicans. Even Mitt Romney says he supports linking the minimum wage to inflation – just not right now. Obama has effectively been saying “no, not now” to underpaid workers for almost four years. So, why in the hell is labor getting ready to spend tens of million of dollars to re-elected him, instead of building a movement that will force politicians to do the right thing? For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Glen Ford. On the web, go to BlackAgendaReport.com.

BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.

listen

http://traffic.libsyn.com/blackagendareport/20120905_gf_MinWage.mp3

More Stories

Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio November 1, 2024
01 Nov 2024
In this week’s segment, we hear about the U.S. government's censorship of the news and the end of Radio Sputnik. We also hear Margaret Kimberley at a Julian Assange freedom celebration and the…
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Green Party of New York Wages Write-In Campaign for Voter Choice and Ballot Status
01 Nov 2024
We’re joined by Peter Lavenia, co-chair of the Green Party of New York. He explains why there is this lack of choice in the New York elections and how voters can choose the Green Party presidential…
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
US Censorship and the End of Radio Sputnik
01 Nov 2024
Garland Nixon is a veteran journalist and the former co-host of the program The Critical Hour, once heard on Radio Sputnik before that outlet disappeared from the airwaves. Garland Nixon joins us to…
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Julian Assange Freedom Celebration
01 Nov 2024
Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report Executive Editor, spoke at an event in Berkeley, California celebrating the release of political prisoner Julian Assange. She connected his case with that of…
Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
Trump Rally, Washington Post and Michelle Obama Generate Fake Outrage
30 Oct 2024
Liberals love to indulge in performative virtue signaling rather than serious political conviction. Recent events proved that their highest priority is maintaining alliances with the Democratic Party…