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[jbug617]

The minimum wage in St. Louis will revert to $7.70 an hour on Aug. 28, with Gov. Eric Greitens announcing on Friday that he will allow a bill blocking the city’s increase to become law without his signature.

When the Legislature sends the governor a bill, he has several options. He can sign it, veto it or take the middle course — without action before a constitutional deadline, the bill automatically takes effect.

The bill in question bans local minimum wages, requiring all cities and municipalities in Missouri to stick to the statewide standard.

Minimum wage workers in St. Louis are making $10 an hour after winning a two-year legal fight against business groups who challenged a 2015 city ordinance authorizing an increase.

Under that city law, the wage was set to rise again in January to $11 an hour, then increase annually with inflation.

“It will kill jobs,” Greitens said of the increase. “And despite what you hear from liberals, it will take money out of people’s pockets.”

Both workers and businesses alike now face a jarring change ahead. It’s unclear whether many businesses as of Aug. 28 will seek to reduce pay to employees who have recently received increases.

It’s a situation the Missouri House had sought to avoid by fast-tracking its version of the bill to the Senate in March, in the hopes it could be signed into law before a court’s injunction on the increase was lifted in St. Louis. But the Senate didn’t take up the bill until the final hours of the 2017 legislative session.

Greitens, who has clashed with senators numerous times since assuming office, said the uncertainty for businesses could have been avoided if they had “done their job on time.”

His reasoning for not signing the bill outright? Those career politicians, Greitens said.

“Politicians in the Legislature could’ve come up with a timely solution to this problem. Instead, they dragged their feet for months,” Greitens said in a statement. “Now, because of their failures, we have different wages across the state.”

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_0428b488-d4e2-5778-895b-f44ad92cc65a.html

Damn those liberals.

 

[badcrumble]

Wouldn't be surprised if the state also intentionally neglects to enforce the $10 minimum wage for the period it was effective, i.e. refuses to investigate wage theft claims against employers who simply didn't comply. Scum.

 

[Sephzilla]

 

[Phrozenflame500]

The bill in question bans local minimum wages, requiring all cities and municipalities in Missouri to stick to the statewide standard.

why tho, this is the exact opposite of how a minimum wage should be set

 

[Kickz]

Good ol' Mizzourrraah

 

[Mael]

At least this caricature is to the point.

 

[fabricated backlash]

Pretty much.

 

[adj_noun]

“And despite what you hear from liberals, it will take money out of people’s pockets.”

...

 

[Angry Grimace]

Wouldn't be surprised if the state also intentionally neglects to enforce the $10 minimum wage for the period it was effective, i.e. refuses to investigate wage theft claims against employers who simply didn't comply. Scum.

That isn't questionable actually.

Republicans believe both that minimum wages don't exist and that existing wage and hour laws should not be enforced under any circumstances.

 

[Ravager61]

He's a coward for not signing it too. At least own up to your own BS. Also, I like how Republicans love to advocate states rights but when it gets down to the city level, it's "fuck those liberal islands".

 

[collige]

why tho, this is the exact opposite of how a minimum wage should be set

You know why.

 

[sturgboski]

...

Well yeah I mean they will no longer be making $10 an hour, therefore having $3 an hour taken from their pocket. Oh wait he's arguing the other way. Republicans are fucking scum.

 

[RinsFury]

If anyone tells me republicans aren't evil I'll laugh right in their face.

 

[entremet]

Wow. This is rather crazy.

 

[commedieu]

...

2+2=-1

 

[Mahonay]

Absolute scum. Fuck the Republicans.

 

[HazySaiyan]

 

[Randolph Freelander]

This dude. Won't sign the bill, doesn't want the political responsibility for it despite obviously agreeing with it.

Good policy or bad (it's bad), he shouldn't be allowed to retain office for such cowardice.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

This will take money out of people's pocket - lmao

 

[teh_pwn]

I don't think $10 minimum wage is in the realm of inciting layoffs and investment into automation, but I really haven't kept up with this. Areas with similar cost of living at $15 probably causes a lot of position closings though.

 

[Dartastic]

This will take money out of people's pocket - lmao

I mean, technically he's right? Those workers that would be making $10 are going to be making less, so...

The fact that the minimum wage isn't tied to inflation is insane, IMO.

 

[KidGalactus]

No way this could possibly be disastrous.

 

[InfiniteBento]

This is terrible. Wow.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I mean, technically he's right? Those workers that would be making $10 are going to be making less, so...

The fact that the minimum wage isn't tied to inflation is insane, IMO.

The governor's quote was regarding the increase, not the decrease.

 

[rtcn63]

Is that an avocado

 

[Somnid]

It doesn't even make sense. If a city raises minimum wage and that drives out business, that's the city's problem, everyone else can sit back, take the business pushed out and say "I told you so." The only reason you'd ever want to control it at such a level is to prevent nearby cities from being dominated by spending power of ones with higher wages which is antithetical to the argument that high wages drive out business.

 

[Kthulhu]

He's a coward for not signing it too. At least own up to your own BS. Also, I like how Republicans love to advocate states rights but when it gets down to the city level, it's "fuck those liberal islands".

Their argument is that the Constitution says nothing about cities.

 

[Alchemy]

Conservatives are fucking disgusting creatures.

 

[FTF]

I'm sorry, that's bullshit and pathetic. A person can't live on $308 a week before taxes (assuming a 40 hr week).

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Their argument is that the Constitution says nothing about cities.

Let's hear their arguments when there's a conservative city or (more likely) town in an otherwise liberal state.

 

[Saganator]

If your business can't afford to pay its employees at least $10/hr then you shouldn't be in business.

 

[The Elite]

$7.70?

Ouch. I think $6.50 was the minimum wage in Toronto in the late 90s. That's unacceptable today.

 

[Zackat]

You cannot live on that wage. Crazy

 

[old]

People need to see this what it is.

1. Rich people don't think working class people deserve to earn a respectable wage. Your place is at work. 7 days a week. No vacations. Until you die. Stop asking to earn enough to afford days off or go on vacations.

2. They know it means taxpayers will have to subsidize the poor's income with social benefits. The taxpayers are subsidizing the profit margins of the owner class through these programs. They don't mind. They hire the CPAs to avoid paying their fair share of taxes anyways. So it ends up being other people paying their worker's wages.

I'm against the "Fight for 15". Because it should be $25.

 

[digita1alchemy]

The people on minimum wage should be protesting the shit out of this, but they probably can't because they're too busy working two jobs. You know, because they're lazy.

 

[5taquitos]

I'm sorry, that's bullshit and pathetic. A person can't live on $308 a week before taxes (assuming a 40 hr week).

Grab those bootstraps and get a second job, stop being so lazy.

 

[Galang]

If your business can't afford to pay its employees at least $10/hr then you shouldn't be in business.

I agree with this. I wouldn't even feel right paying anyone 10 bucks an hour, let alone half of that.

 

[Flux]

But think of all the those hungry businesses. They have so much room for business now that they are freed from the shackles of paying decent wages.

 

[Stinkles]

we have different wages across the state.

I assume rents cost the same everywhere in MO.

 

[siddx]

Any fuckhead who supports this idiocy should be required to be paid the minimum wage. Every single business owner, every dipshit politician who thinks 7.70 is a livable wage should be forced to live on it.

 

[RPGCrazied]

I believe it. You had a candidate for congress flat out saying she doesn't support a livable wage, yet these dumb fuck Republicans still voted for her and she won.

 

[Intheflorsh]

Rich people don't think working class people deserve to earn a respectable wage. Your place is at work. 7 days a week. No vacations. Until you die. Stop asking to earn enough to afford days off or go on vacations.

Yup. So much for Kant.

 

[Christian]

...

It will! Won't you please think of the rich business owners that have to pay liveable wages to employees?!

 

[Angelus Errare]

smh.

 

[Nepenthe]

Any fuckhead who supports this idiocy should be required to be paid the minimum wage. Every single business owner, every dipshit politician who thinks 7.70 is a livable wage should be forced to live on it.

You gave Republicans the benefit of the doubt and think they're coming at this with the belief that the minimum wage should be livable at all.

 

[Ravager61]

Their argument is that the Constitution says nothing about cities.

Which is blatantly hypocritical because they aren't arguing for states rights based on constitutional law. They want it because of a "only states know whats good for them" mentality. But I guess that philosophy doesn't translate for them down to cities because liberals live there and don't know whats good for em.

 

[CoryCubed]

People need to see this what it is.

1. Rich people don't think working class people deserve to earn a respectable wage. Your place is at work. 7 days a week. No vacations. Until you die. Stop asking to earn enough to afford days off or go on vacations.

I wish you were wrong, but that mentality is sadly prevalent. Company owner has been on record saying he doesn't want to be paying for us to get a house and what not so that's why we don't get paid as much. Plus we had a meeting where they straight out said, after stopping Employee of the Month, Year, and drawings at our monthly meetings, we should be happy we have jobs.

 

[Dali]

So St. Louis, biggest city in the state, likely with the highest cost of living as well, can't set their minimum wage higher than the rest of the state? Yeah that makes sense. What about Republicans principle of letting local government handle local issues?

 

[Angelus Errare]

I agree with this. I wouldn't even feel right paying anyone 10 bucks an hour, let alone half of that.

If your business can't afford to pay its employees at least $10/hr then you shouldn't be in business.

I mean that was quite literally the intent behind minimum wage. FDR actually flat out said "No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country."

It always blows my mind how despite the guy who implemented and made it into law saying such, minimum wage has been reframed as something that is only there for teens and shouldn't provide livable wages for employees especially at the cost of a business.

 

[Beartruck]

Even stupider when you realize that St Louis is basically on the illinois border, which has a minimum wage of $8.25. All this does is drive employees to the eastern half of town.