Let the Poor Stay Poor

The Senate defeated the minimum wage increase on Monday, which would have raised the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour, unchanged since 1996.

"I believe that anyone who works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year should not live in poverty in the richest country in the world," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., arguing for the Democratic proposal to increase the minimum wage by $2.10 over the next 26 months ... While Democrats sought only an increase in the minimum wage with their proposal, Republicans expanded theirs to include business regulatory relief as well as tax breaks totaling $4.2 billion, most of it directed toward the restaurant industry.

Ya hear that red-Staters?

Update: For you other mathemagicians out there, $5.15/hr x 40 hrs/week x 52 weeks/yr = $10,712/yr. How you gonna feed your baby mama with that?