Higher Wages is Bad for the Economy, Just Ask Elaine!

I kept forgetting to add Shame on Elaine to my blog roll, but I did it today. Not only that, I thought I'd pull in just a sample

Though one of America Samoa’s largest employers only pays workers an average of $3.60 an hour, Elaine Chao’s Department thinks that’s adequate – and even goes as far as arguing that increasing the minimum wage “would have damaging effects on the economies of American Samoa and the Northern Marianas

You know, the Northern Marianas, the place that Abramoff championed

For those who may not recall, the Northern Marianas recieved special treatment from the Bush administration because of lobbying and bribery efforts by Abramoff that directly benefitted Bob Ney, Tom Delay, John Doolittle, Richard Pombo and other feloneous Republicans. Perks included free travel, money, meals and, very likely, tropical sexcapades. The Islands businesses, who have a documented history of engaging in slave labor, forced prostitution and employer-mandated abortions, are allowed to use the "Made in the USA" label, despite not being in the US and not adhering to US labor standards for age, overtime pay, safe working conditions or minimum wages.

So, Mitch's wife seriously continues to support big business over simple human decency. With Hillary running on her husband's record, does that mean that Mitch is also running on his wife's? I think so. I think her support of slave wages in the US territory of the Northern Marianas should be one of those chains hung around Mitch's neck.

Hey, Elaine and Mitch, I can't wait to fix all the problems the two of you have created. I guess that's what we all have to do, clean up the mess Republicans have made of everything. Including extending all labor laws to all US territories or start allowing them to obtain statehood or sovereinty. We aren't an empire, you did know that Mitch and Elaine, right?

Need more on slave labor issues in the Norther Marianas, I highly recommend reading No Bodies Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy by John Bowe