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* From the DCCC…

Republican Bob Dold wanted struggling Illinois families to have the minimum wage cut, too. Before Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner set off a firestorm with his suggestion that he wanted to lower the minimum wage, Dold advocated for lowering the minimum wage during a live interview. In 2010, Dold was asked if he’d support a reduction in the minimum wage and argued he would support such a move. “Certainly lowering the minimum wage I know in my business I can’t hire anybody at the minimum wage but certainly if we lower the minimum wage more people will go back to work.”

“There’s no better example of Bob Dold’s refusal to stand up to the Tea Party’s reckless agenda than Dold’s proposal to lower the minimum wage,” said Brandon Lorenz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Instead of strengthening middle class families and growing the economy, Bob Dold’s standing with the reckless Tea Party agenda that leaves them out in the cold.”

BACKGROUND:

Congressman Dold Supported Lowering the Minimum Wage. In 2010, Dold was asked if he’d support a reduction in the minimum wage. “I think the federal government in general needs to get out of the way, take regulation off […] Certainly lowering the minimum wage I know in my business I can’t hire anybody at the minimum wage but certainly if we lower the minimum wage more people will go back to work.” [Political Shoot-Out Interview WLS 890 AM Radio, 1/03/10]

* Audio…

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:11 pm

Comments

The logic behind this press release is a bit disjointed, certainly not as clear as the Rauner scenario.

Dold flat out says he cannot and does not hire anyone in his business at minimum wage and appears to be speaking in theoretical terms rather than practical terms.

In theory, if we dropped minimum wage to $1 an hour there would be lots of companies looking to hire new workers as a result of their reduced labor costs. In reality, we’d be taking money directly out of people’s pockets and have even more of our neighbors starving in the streets.

Even so, it’s not a good look and certainly does not help Dold.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:25 pm
==“Certainly lowering the minimum wage I know in my business I can’t hire anybody at the minimum wage but certainly if we lower the minimum wage more people will go back to work.”==

What? You can’t hire anybody at minimum wage but if you lower it you can hire them? That makes perfect sense.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:26 pm
==if we dropped minimum wage to $1 an hour there would be lots of companies looking to hire new workers as a result of their reduced labor costs==

I don’t think we should be striving to create more jobs at even lower wages.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:27 pm
It’s heartwarming when pundits & candidates say the want to lower or get rid of the minimum wage because it hurts the working poor, as if prices don’t rise until the minimum wage goes up, or will go down if the minimum is lowered or eliminated.

Comment by Hans Sanity Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:28 pm
==“Certainly lowering the minimum wage I know in my business I can’t hire anybody at the minimum wage but certainly if we lower the minimum wage more people will go back to work.”==

Dude, if you can’t afford to hire someone at $34 a day, you can’t afford to hire anyone, period. Because you’re already not making money.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:33 pm
Dold more likely than not, got nice donation by spewing the party line from Roeser.
As far as not paying minimum wage that makes sense.
I have always paid above the minimum wage because I end with a better employee.
The minimum wage has always for kids in high school. Lowering it is nonsense .
I realize that Dold and Roeser want to help the ” job creators” by laying the wood to everyone else

Comment by mokenavince Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:53 pm
=== I don’t think we should be striving to create more jobs at even lower wages. ===

Which was exactly the point. Thus the whole, “neighbors starving in the streets” comment that immediately followed.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 1:59 pm
George Will made a comment in his column that only 3% of workers are paid the minimum wage. Anyone know if this is true?

Comment by Cassiopeia Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:11 pm
Dold climbed into bed with the Tea Party in his 2010 Primary race, and it’s still hurting him!

Comment by Formerpol Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:18 pm
And here we thought Oberweiss was the Commodore of U.S.S. Gaffe destined to bring the rest of R’s down, but it appears that ship is being steered by a different baron. Fortunately, there is still a lot of game yet to be played…don’t disappoint us Mallow-Man.

Comment by Under Influenced Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:18 pm
This might hurt Dold, but the fact that he was in Congress for two years and did nothing at all to hurt him certainly dampens the attack’s effectiveness.

Comment by Johnny Q. Suburban Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:22 pm
==George Will made a comment in his column that only 3% of workers are paid the minimum wage. Anyone know if this is true?==

The Department of Labor says that 4.7% of hourly wage earners make at or below the minimum wage.

I’m not sure what the point of your statement is, though.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:41 pm
FWIW, the way I read Dold’s comment is because of the nature of his business, he hires people at wages greater than the minimum wage. However, if the minimum wage was lowered more people in general would get jobs. And, for the record, I’m not in favor of lowering the minimum wage!

Comment by G'Kar Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 2:46 pm
I recently read an argument that in some instances, lowering minimum wages can just be another form of corporate welfare. The company may save on their payroll expenses as a result of lower minimum wages. But then those workers with the lower wages may need more support from local, state, and federal government programs.

Comment by Joe M Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:13 pm
Would these guys want to work as hard as most minimum wage workers do, for what minimum wage is?

Comment by 3rd Generation Chicago Native Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:23 pm
===I recently read an argument that in some instances, lowering minimum wages can just be another form of corporate welfare. The company may save on their payroll expenses as a result of lower minimum wages. But then those workers with the lower wages may need more support from local, state, and federal government programs. ===

Right on the nose. Wal Marts and fast food joints aren’t going to hire more workers because wages have been reduced. They’ll only hire more workers if the demand for their products increases beyond the ability of the existing staff to manage it.

Comment by CollegeStudent Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:27 pm
If this attack threatens to Dold, Mother Trib will fly to his defense.

Comment by walker Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:28 pm
It’s amazing how many people don’t understand that the demand for labor is a downward sloping curve. How many journalists have taken a class in economics???

Comment by Steve Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:46 pm
above: “If this attack threatens to hurt Dold …”

Sorry

(Why do I only see my errors after they’re already posted?)

Comment by walker Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:46 pm
–Wal Marts and fast food joints aren’t going to hire more workers because wages have been reduced.–

Remember at Christmas when WalMart set up in-store food pantries so employees could contribute to each other? Straight out of Dickens.

McDonald’s can’t even figure out how their employees get by.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/mcdonalds-cant-figure-out-how-its-workers-survive-on-minimum-wage/277845/

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:50 pm
Rauner, Dold, Ives, all peas in the same pod.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:52 pm
The simple truth is that Dold is more conservative than he wants the voters of the 10th district to believe. It doesn’t make him a bad guy, it just makes it tougher for him to win his seat back.

Comment by slow down Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 3:57 pm
Sorry, the above statement was a response to this:

==It’s amazing how many people don’t understand that the demand for labor is a downward sloping== curve.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jan 10, 14 @ 4:39 pm
I’m gone to convey my little brother, that he should also go to see this blog on regular basis to take updated from most
up-to-date reports.

Comment by exploits Wednesday, Jan 29, 14 @ 2:42 am