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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
 Posted - 01/13/2007 : 12:48:32 [Permalink]
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For those interesed, the link below gives information on American Samoa and the minimum wage there.
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/AS/toc.htm
Haven't read it myself, just scanned it. Hey, it's your island, I'm watching Penn & Teller now. |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 12:54:36 [Permalink]
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Having scanned the articles a little bit, it seems that on American Samoa land possession is still one of the most important aspects in social life. This is because most of the agriculture done there is for home consumption. It seems to still be very much a rural area, where people live directly off the land. The land is in possession of extended families, who divide parts of it on their family members. There is some industry, mainly tuna canning.
As far as I know, it is often the case in these kinds of communities that the price paid for base products of living is much lower then in more developed countries. Hence expecting a minimum wage equal to that of the American main land is folly and will only serve to impede the economic development that is going on there, instead of helping the minimum wagers.
There is a committee that has the task of determining the minimum wage for workers in American Samoa. They have the task of increasing the miminum wage in a guided way, to get it on the same levels as the American mainland as soon as possible. They determine yearly whethet the minimum wage in American Samoa needs to stay the same or increase. They do not have the power to decrease it and the increases need to reflect changes in minimum wage on the American mainland.
It is a sensible policy to guide the economic growth of American Samoa in a way that reflects the current standard of living there. It is not the result of some corrupt political game. Forcing the minimum wage to be the same on American Samoa as on the American mainland would likely cripple the industry there to a point where it cannot sustain itself anymore.
That is what I can get from the story. I would say that Halfmooner's knee-jerk reaction to discount the story was entirely justified. I would further say that the republicans mentioned in the article deserve your deepest disgust. Not only did they not let themselves be properly informed before voting on the bill. They did not do the necessary research after hearing about the American Samoa clause in it either. Instead of just shutting up and letting their staff do some digging, they just sprouted nonsense immediately. |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 13:58:36 [Permalink]
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When I'd initially (and prematurely) agreed that the American Samoa exemption was a stinking, corrupt act, I had gotten that opinion by scanning Google or some key words. But that caused observational bias. I now realize all the articles were essentially the same, coming from NeoCon sources. This smells of another in a long string of deceptive "talking points" organized by the likes of Karl Rove.
True, WT's coverage wasn't technically a direct lie. But by concealing from readers the fact that Amerian Samoa had traditionally been ignored by minimum wage laws, it was in effect, and by intention, a lie as bad as any literally direct one. (And anyone who passes on a such a lie because he care to check out the facts, is a liar, too, even when he doesn't realize it, Bill. And that can sometimes include me.)
Look, Marf, the Democrats are much less corrupt than the Republicans in our present era, if only due to the fact that since they have been out of real power for so long they have hardly ever been targeted by corrupt lobbyists. Abramoff, for instance, seems not to have even bothered with Democrats. The Abramoff/Delay corruption ring was on a massive scale. Nothing approaching this was ever even alleged to have occurred on the Democratic side. And there have been only two or three Democratic members of Congress that have even been accused of corruption in recent years. The number of indicted Republicans is probably greater.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 23:05:38 [Permalink]
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Unfortunately, I can't seem to find section 206 of USC 29 online from the Feds themselves. But what's quite obvious is that the bill in question doesn't mention American Samoa, Starkist or Pelosi at all. The two things the bill does is raise the standard minimum wage where it hasn't otherwise been exempted, and also raises the minimum wage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by 50 cents an hour every six months until it, too, matches the Federal standard. It would be interesting to see just how many U.S. territories and/or professions (like restaurant waiters and waitresses) are exempted, 'cause I sure don't know. (Hell, Federal employees were exempted from the minimum wage laws until 1974.)
It is clear that the Washington Times is committing a sin of omission by failing to inform its readership that American Samoa has been exempted for some time already, and this latest bill simply does nothing to change that. No version of the bill that I was able to find lifted the exemption, so it doesn't appear that Pelosi removed language which would change the situation. So the Times isn't screaming about how Democrats failed to lift the minimum wage exemption for the wait staff at everyone's local International House of Pancakes (whose paid wages are still only $2.15 an hour, so far as I know, plus tips), but is whining about American Samoa being left behind by this bill.
This really does reek of Republicans digging deep to find something on which they could try to skewer Democrats. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 01:57:54 [Permalink]
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Thank you Dave for confirming what I just found.
The Bill is short and sweet.
I suspect this has to do with the 100 hours business rather than anything else. The Republicans have been trying to slow the process down to then claim the Dems didn't meet their 100 hours pledge. It's really more sleaze. I doubt Am Samoa or Starkist have anything to do with it.
Marf, have you found anything where Am Samoa or Starkist are exempt, or is it just something not included? Because if it is the latter, then I'm sure it is the sleaze tactics.
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| Edited by - beskeptigal on 01/14/2007 02:00:40 |
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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 02:25:37 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by marfknox ...American Samoa's exemption is not good for the American people and both sides of the isle should stand up and say so.
Both sides of American Samoa? or did you mean aisle?
Tomk80 raises a very valid point about why an exemption makes sense. |
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 07:53:16 [Permalink]
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beskeptigalwrote: quote:
Marf, have you found anything where Am Samoa or Starkist are exempt, or is it just something not included? Because if it is the latter, then I'm sure it is the sleaze tactics
Why are you asking me specifically and not Bill? I didn't start this thread and I haven't gotten into the argument over whether the Times is using "sleaze tactics" or not.
Ghost Skeptic wrote: quote:
Both sides of American Samoa? or did you mean aisle?
Yeah, yeah, cheap shot. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 01/14/2007 07:54:01 |
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Original_Intent
SFN Regular
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 08:33:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
Thank you Dave for confirming what I just found.
The Bill is short and sweet.
I suspect this has to do with the 100 hours business rather than anything else. The Republicans have been trying to slow the process down to then claim the Dems didn't meet their 100 hours pledge. It's really more sleaze. I doubt Am Samoa or Starkist have anything to do with it.
The Dems can make their 100 hours because they can't tell time. They have only been at it 23 hours since they started. I am surprised that I was surprised that it was more posturing and shenanigans.
Peace
Joe
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