(Sorta) Live Blogging: ABQ Minimum Wage Debate

Note: This post starts at the bottom and works up to here as I kept adding updates at the top. You know what to do to read it in order. Make sure you have some snacks before you start!
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FINAL UPDATE: We won! Minimum wage passes 6-3! Repubs Harris, Mayer, Winter vote no. See David Sirota's column on Working for Change that praises the ABQ City Council and, especially, Martin Heinrich. Congrats to all who worked on this issue with special thanks to Matthew Henderson of NM ACORN and Carter Bundy of ASFCME.

BREAK: I'm taking a break because, as Lennon once said, "I've got blisters on my fingers!" Back later. The vast majority of those speaking are for the bill. If the councilors voted according to those testifying, we'd be outta here and the Albuquerque wage raise would be a reality.

In fact, it strikes me that THE DEAL has already been made amongst the councilors and that this citizen testimony is probably meant merely to bolster the pretense that democracy is in action. Well, I guess it is in some ways, but we all know that the real action takes place behind the scenes when compromises among politicos are made on issues like this. What I've heard is that Heinrich's bill will pass with only one amendment by Cadigan that allows employers to deduct what they pay for employee health insurance from the minimum. If that's true, we've taken a big step forward. Of course $7.50 isn't really enough to live with dignity, but at least it's a good start.

UPDATE 7:50: Minister from First Unitarian Church: Federal minimum would be $10.70 if it had kept up with inflation. All have had raises since 1997 when minimum rate was last raised, but not the poor who work for minimum wage. Is a moral issue. If you are secure and ignore the plight of those less so, it is immoral. Say it brother! Next up a Quaker representing Interfaith who speaks of family time with children. If parents have to work two jobs or long hours for little money, not enough time with children. Take that you family values Repubs on the Council.

UPDATE 7:35: Legislator Kent Cravens representing PAVE - Protecting Albuquerque's Vibrant Economy.Got it. Another one that wants the wages changed at the federal level. Again, he's a Republican and I haven't noticed any big surge in the Repub controlled Congress pushing for this. He's afraid people will think we are against .... well everything American, isn't it?

He's evidently representing all the businesses that pay shit wages and no doubt provide no benefits, but you can guarantee that the owners have homes in High Desert or some McMansion on the West Side. Sez it's not about the money, it's ABOUT THE PERCEPTION IN THE GLOBAL MARKET! I guess he doesn't give a shit if people can't eat on what his friends pay. He's in LOVE WITH ALBUQUERQUE -- just not the people who work for unlivable pay. He thinks if the Albuquerque boat rises --- all the poor people will too. Can't have that!

Loony Harris says he was SO scared that the referendum nearly passed and there would be a huge exodus from Albuquerque! Cravens claims Eclipse said they wouldn't build here if the minimum wage bill passed. Right. Eclipse is paying people less than $7.50 an hour.  NOT! Blah, blah, blah Cravens whines on about nasty unions and threats to Albuquerque. O'Malley counters that, hey, we have subsidized Eclipse significantly. They're here cuz they got a great deal, not because our minimum wage was $5.15 an hour. You go girl!

UPDATE 7:25: The Hispano Chamber wants to phase in the wage over three years to $6.50 max. I guess these misers believe in forced servitude. I wonder which part of the Hispanic population they represent. No I don't. I know which one. The ones who drive Hummers and those massive tricked out, lumbering pickups. Now comes a loooooony who thinks if we raise the wage to $6.75 and then $7.50 in 2009, flocks of more intelligent and skilled workers will flood into Albuquerque and take the jobs of the poor. Yowsa. This one wins the nut prize, so far! Can't you see it -- the word passing around America that you can get $7.50 an hour in Turkey Town and masses of experienced workers rushing here to take advantage....

UPDATE 7:20: Our own Anne Kasse gives a wise and well reasoned presentation and invites the Council members to try to live on either $5.15 or $7.50 an hour. They'd be taking home $780 or $1,070 at those two rates. As she said, it's a MORAL ISSUE, not just an economic one.

Next comes our own Robb Chavez, the guy who got the impeach Bush resolution passed at the State Democratic Convention last month, says the Council should take advantage of the fact that labor, the Chamber and Wal-Mart are all in agreement on this bill and that the millenium may really be coming. Ain't it da trute.

UPDATE 7:15:  Our own Don Schiff does a terrific job talking about how this bill is a "bitter pill" because it doesn't raise the wage to AT LEAST $7.50 or provide raises for inflation. But he sez a good compromise means no-one is very happy, so this is a good one. Vote for it!

Followed by a guy in a beret holding a child who says it would be "against the American way" to vote against this! Then a guy in a cap suggests that businesses don't need to raise prices with this small increase in the wage, as they make enough money as it is. So there. A senior citizen said the price of gasoline and milk are what is causing inflation, not a small raise for our poorest workers. Cost of living going up due to the expensive war and money being wasted by Bush!

UPDATE 7:05 PM: Our own Terry Riley does well bagging the increase in millionaires while those lower on the economic scale have to dig deep to eat and buy gas -- the price of which is rising astronomically. Wingo Harris claims that the increase in millionaires is helping the poor. Groans and moans from the audience. Heinrich has to shush people.

Followed by a whiner who chants the right wing mantra that the raise should be done at the federal level. Funny though, these types never seem to support such measures at the state or local level when push comes to shove. Excuses, excuses. This guy is worried about the uneven playing field for him. I think he should move to Mississippi or Lousiana and see what comes of it.

UPDATE 6:50: NM Sen. Dede Feldman, one our best progressive stars, steps up. They're hitting her on Social Security recipients. Suddenly these right-wingos care about seniors. Hmmm. Mayer of course has no proof that prices will skyrocket because poor workers are making a meager $7.50 by 2009. Point made that with only 40,000 workers getting a raise, very unlikely that prices will put seniors in jeopardy. No kidding. I love it how the only time Repubs bring up the needs of the needy is when it's to stop poor people getting more money in any way.

GO KEEGAN KING! GO KEEGAN KING. Now HE's cute. Even I think so, and I'm gay. I know Keegan and he is a sweetie. He's now working for the League of Young Voters, which we certainly need more of!

UPDATE 6:44 PM: Carter Bundy of AFSCME (yay) up. Lookin good. He kisses some ass about the bill and then pushes to NOT have many amendments. Should teenagers be exempted asks Heinrich. Carter says there are unintended consequences for this -- businesses migh fire adults to hire teenagers for job to save money.

Right wingo Harris questioning again. Claims Wal-Mart supports minimum wage nationally. Carter says it's true that they support raise in federal minimum wage. No details.

Nasty Sally Mayer pipes in with talk about the THREAT of another referendum. How do we know you won't do that anyway, she sez. "Hates that threat hanging out there." I bet. Carter says going through a referendum is hell and his dog is inside 24 hours a day when he's doing that. Let's not have animal cruelty! Thinks a new referendum would raise to $7.50 right away and add indexing. Not really a higher amount. It's not a threat -- we believe in this issue strongly. We want to avoid that battle of another referendum. Bundy goes on record: I will say publicly that if Heinrich's bill passes and the only amendment is Cadigan's healthcare offset, we won't do a referendum this year or thru the time period of this bill. Perhaps in 2009 or 10 if necessary to have an adjustment.

UPDATE 6:30 PM: Oh here comes Teri Cole -- queen supreme of the Greater (not Lesser) ABQ Chamber of Commerce. She's the one who worked so hard to defeat the last min wage ballot initiative. HOWEVER, she will NOT OPPOSE Heinrich's bill despite their preference for a national or state minimum wage instead. As if the right wingos who run both Houses of Congress would EVER vote for a minimum wage raise. Whats is she smoking? But hey, why aren't we going for a stronger bill on the ballot! She admits the Chamber would lose if that happens, and the measure would be much less "desireable."

Councilor Harris (right wingo Repub) says he wants no minimum wage in city because it "perverts" the economy. I'll bet he doesn't think the high wages paid only to Lab workers by the federal government "perverts" the economy. He's one of those who believes all our restaurants will move to Rio Rancho (for the beauty) if a meager $7.50 per hour wage is paid. Right.

UPDATE 6:20 PM: I hear a baby crying in the hall and someone is explaining the difference between this bill and the one that was on the ballot last Fall. One, it'll apply to all employers, not just those with more than 11 employeers. He's also explaining how the requirements will be enforced, claiming there is much less paperwork and intrusion for employers to worry about.

Heinrich moves for a DO PASS on the bill and opens discussion.

NM Labor Secretary Conrad Chino opens and voices his support for Heinrich's bill and says Governor Richardson also supports it, as is -- i.e. it does NOT need any amendments!

Facts he presents: Our unemployment rate is very low and we have one of the highest job creation rates in the nation. This bill will have no impact on jobs or inflation. Bill would affect 38,000 workers here, the vast majority of them adults working full time. More Hispanics and African-Americans than other ethnic groups.

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Earlier...

The best laid plans.... I'm supposed to be at the live-blogging event organized by Duke City Fix at the City Council tonight but things haven't worked out as planned. The laptop I was supposed to borrow fell through and I didn't think it would do much good to show up without a way to, well, blog!

So instead I'll be blogging here at my PC while watching the live feed from the Council Chambers. I guess it has its rewards. I can blog in my baggy old clothes, I can get to the bathroom quickly, I can munch and sip while I keyboard and I can play with our parakeets, lovebird and parrot in between segments. Of course the downside is that I'm not part of the growing community of bloggers who are gathered at the event tonight. Maybe next time!

I'll be weighing in here as the Council meeting progresses. You can also check out the other bloggers who are participating.