Gov. Strickland Reviews Minimum Wage Exclusion

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on its website Sunday that Gov. Ted Strickland is reviewing legislation passed by the GOP-controlled General Assembly in the last days of the late, unlamented Taft Administration, that exempts certain occupations from Ohio's new minimum wage amendment. (You can link to the article by clicking on the arrow next to this entry's title.)

The irony is that if a business doesn't pay the minimum wage and relies on the bill passed by the General Assembly, it could end up paying the attorney fees of an employee suing to enfore the provisions of the amendment. The sponsors of the minimum wage amendment were smart enough to insert that provision into the amendment's language. It would have been smarter, and even easier, to have just adopted the language of the amendment and not tried to exempt certain industries from paying the new minimum wage, but that would not have helped the GOP's business allies. Because, in the end, it all comes down to following the money.

Congressman Regula Backs Five of Six Dem Bills in 110th Congress

Congressman Ralph Regula, (OH-R), representing the 16th Ohio Congressional District supported five of the first six Democratic bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. He supported adopting the 9-11 Commission recommendations; allowing stem-cell research; increasing the minimum wage; cutting the interest on student loans; and for negotiation with drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. He voted against the Democratic energy bill.

There are a couple of explanations for Regula's support of these bills. One is that Regula is a moderate to conservative Republican and found these bills philosophically compatible with his views. The other is that he is getting ready to run for re-election in 2008 and wants to make sure he goes toward the center in case he gets a viable Democratic opponent. Or, of course, his reasons for voting for these bills is a mixture of both. In any event, however, Democrats in Ohio's 16th Congressional District should not be assuming that Regula is not running in 08.

Advice to Progressives: Dream Bigger Dreams!

Katha Pollitt of the Nation magazine has advice for liberals: dream bigger dreams! Advocate universal healthcare for all, cheap or free higher education, and a minimum wage of $9.00 an hour and indexed for inflation. Build a movement and stop worrying about finding a leader. If you have the right movement, leaders will emerge and come to you. It is a provocative article and can be read by clicking on the link in the title heading.