GOP Rep. Tells Constituent Who Asks About Raising The Minimum Wage To ‘Get A Job’

[Galraedia]

House Democrats earlier this month proposed increasing the federal minimum wage to $10 an hour, which would catch the minimum wage up to the buying power it had in 1968. The proposal hasn’t gone anywhere, though, since Republicans who control the House of Representatives oppose any increase.


Asked by a constituent at a Fourth of July parade yesterday, Florida Rep. Bill Young (R) revealed that he is, predictably, opposed to the Democratic proposal. When a constituent asked him why he opposed boosting worker wages, Young replied simply, “Get a job“:

CONSTITUENT: Hi, I’m (inaudible) how are you? Happy Fourth of July. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is passing a bill around to increase the minimum wage to 10 bucks and hour. Do you support that?

YOUNG: Probably not.

CONSTITUENT: 10 bucks, that would give us a living wage.

YOUNG: How about getting a job?

CONSTITUENT: I do have one.

YOUNG: Well, then why do you want that benefit? Get a job.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/07/05/511463/gop-rep-minimum-wage-get-a-job/

[patrice]

1. So, Representative Young doesn't think it matters what a job pays. Pay your reps $7.20/hr, Florida

and use the savings to bail out, literally, some of that hedge-fund financed coastal real estate that's going under.

[Enrique]

2. says a Congressman who is known mostly for missing votes

the Congressman has a job, he just doesnt work very much.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. This fucker has been in congress for FORTY-ONE YEARS!

HE needs to go get another job.

[stevenleser]

4. Congressman Young asked someone who has a job and wants better pay to "Get a job"

I guess he doesnt care how stupid he sounds.

[TheKentuckian]

5. I hope that becomes a commercial with biting commentary

I hope that fuck is running unopposed. If so or even if not that is national material.

Tell us what the Republicans REALLY think, Rep. Young seems like a good working title.

[Angry Dragon]

6. Another huge idiot heard from

[Tsiyu]

7. "Get a job" = Republican Code for:

"I only represent the wealthy scum in Florida, not the average Joe or Jane like you. THEY paid for my representation.

Now get outta my face before I have you arrested."


Republicans like Bill Young are bought-and-paid-for criminal tools of the affluent and evil. Of course they couldn't care less about working folks.

[freshwest]

8. +1

[airplaneman]

9. two things on this subject.

First republicans want to eliminate the minimum wage not strengthen it. Then there will be seven one dollar an our jobs and not one seven dollar an hour jobs - more jobs like they promised people. On the government isn't efficient but private enterprise is. I know of multiple examples where government jobs paying living wage were replace by private corporations paying minimum wage. In one example a librarian worker of 23 years was fired and replace by a minimum wage replacement shortly after the small town decided to put the library in the hands of a private corporation. An assisted living facility although privately owned by an individual was sold to a large corporation after which a massive exodus occurred as all the already low paying jobs went right to minimum wage and the benefits were eliminated or severely cut to the workers. In the 70's corporations were willing to share their profits with employees but today its a massive greed club with only a few people benefiting
and workers being nothing more than something to exploit to the max.
-Airplane

[Initech]

10. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care.

[denvine]

11. They're scum!

[pepperbear]

12. uhm,the elephant in the room.....

he called a "living wage" a "benefit."

[HangOnKids]

13. There It Is!

And you know the GOP is all about cutting benefits! Bastards. Every. Last. One.