Letter to President Bush on Minimum WageAugust 1, 2006 The Honorable George W. Bush Dear President Bush, As you know, Congress is taking up HR 4 this week – important and long overdue legislation on the minimum wage. This legislation will provide a $2.10 increase to 6.6 million Americans. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives attached another tax break that will affect a mere 8,200 of the wealthiest Americans as a condition to passing the increase in the minimum wage. This tax break for this narrow band of society will cost $268 billion. As a result of the House’s insistence on attaching another tax break for the wealthiest Americans to the bill, the prospect of providing help to hardworking families living on the minimum wage is threatened. Marylanders living on the minimum wage earn just $12,300 per year, and sometimes are working two and even three jobs to try to make ends meet – at the expense of time spent with their children and serving their community. As you know, it has been 9 years since the minimum wage was increased on the federal level and in that time the buying power of the minimum wage has dropped by 20% to its lowest level in 51 years. The proposed increase in HR 4 will provide a working Marylander living on the minimum wage with $2,000 more a year. These additional dollars will significantly impact the lives of Maryland families who work hard and play by the rules, but who are struggling to get by in light of soaring utility, gas, and health care costs. This legislation speaks volumes to what priorities our leadership values – do we fight for interests of families that work hard and play by the rules, or do we fight, instead, for the narrow special interests. An increase in the minimum wage is too important to our hardworking Maryland families to risk being imperiled by another break for the wealthiest Americans. Quite simply, this is a matter of basic fairness. Accordingly, I urge you to call on Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist for a straight up or down vote on a $2.10 increase to the minimum wage. Thank you, CC: Friends of Martin O’Malley – 2400 Boston St., Ste. 203 – Baltimore, MD 21221 – 410-814-4206 – fax: 410-814-4218 |
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