I agree with every word! Read his statement on the minimum wage vote here: http://kennedy.senate.gov/newsroom/press_release.cfm?id=AF4731F6-CED4-4695-A75F-1C9E4AC12A64

He's right about this, he's right about immigration, he's right about gun-control, he's right on alternative energy, he's right on the war on terror, he's right on Iraq, he's right on the treatment of terrorism suspects, he's right on same sex marriage.

It's nice that there are still Democrats left who remain true to the traditional liberal values of the Democratic party - not the modern wave of pro-life, pro-guns, voted for the war in Iraq but now regretting it pseudo-Republicans!

Hey Ted, how long have you guys been discussing this thing? I missed it the tenth time you said "five days." I do agree with him, though, and I'm Canadian! Also enjoyed the bemused look on the stenographer's face.

Ted Kennedy doesn't fit into the current Senate and House of Representative objective of appeasing corporate America.

It's a sad day in democracy when people are not listened to who are willing to work beyond partisan lines for the benefit for all Americans.

Am just waiting for QM to come and spew his right wing BS about Ted Kennedy's voting record.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy#Political_views

Teddy's too nice a guy to say that "Republican leadership" is a contradiction in terms.

Yeah Ted, yer apiece a' work alright.

i like the cut of your jib senator kennedy

didn't want to vote for this, but he brings up some good points... very obvious who a $2.50 raise is going to help. oh but the small businesses need more tax breaks then bleh bleh, ... they've had plenty of tax breaks over the past 10 years. the minimum wage is useless unless it grows with inflation.

Ever notice the right wears the morality badge up until it interferes
with "free market" capitalism?

They don't seem to mind regulating the abortion doctor market, though.
And why do those lazy people who run the churches get all the tax breaks?

Downvote for good Ted Kennedy being a rubbish economist and for not thinking harder, but rather moving to harm the poor.

Full details here: http://www.krupo.ca/archive/2007/01/14/22139.aspx

OK, I just read that, and it's terrificly simplistic.
All the studies that've been done on states that've increased the minimum wage show increases in jobs and positive results for their economies.

Why? More money means more spending, investing, etc. etc., which leads to more hiring.
I get a giggle when people use the phrase "Economics 101", as if complicated economies can all be explained in an intro Econ course.

Krupo, I disagree with that assessment, and am shocked that a economics professor would even promote something like that. Minimum wage laws exist to allow citizens a fair wage for any paid position, if they do not exist companies are allowed to set wages as low as they want. The same legislation exist for working hours so companies don't abuse it. Increasing minimum wage is an example of monetary policy initiatives to stimulate economic growth, as Theo said above it gives the people more purchasing power, and will most often use it. Only instead of the goverment getting the money, the consumers do and things play out in the market instead of senators proposing bridges to nowhere in Alaska *ahem.

However it doesn't really matter because currently taxes are regressive in the US, so any possible dollar amount added could be taken away by taxes. And since the lower class and middle class usually don't have access to the same tools as the upper class (lawyers stashing cash in tax heavens). The upper class doesn't get effected, the largest tax base the corporations are escaping the tax system almost entirely through loops holes and legal representation.

Taxes should be progressive, edging higher towards the upper class. Since they already possess the ability to reduce their tax burden they are not hit as hard as the lower class whose tax deduction reflect larger on their incomes.

But that proposal is political suicide in the current political climate. Which ironic because the goverment is already going into debt financing the war and other pork barreled projects to basically offload to the person next in line for the Whitehouse. In effect the US enjoys a lower taxation burden at the cost of creating one years later. Anyone not convinced of this should look at the debt numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% in favour of helping lower income people boost their wages through government-organized income re-distribution; I'm just arguing that minimum wage laws are a ham-fisted way of going about doing this.