Nancy Pelosi and minimum wage hypocracy

[MonsterMark]

I can't believe the dogs that some of you choose to lie with.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/01/08/daily55.html

Phoenix Republican Congressman John Shadegg is criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats for exempting American Samoa and its tuna canneries from the House of Representatives' recently passed minimum wage increase.

Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSELM) subsidiary Starkist Tuna employs three-fourths of the work force in American Samoa. Del Monte is based in San Francisco, Pelosi's home district.

The minimum wage is $3.62 per hour in American Samoa, and would remain so under the bill, Shadegg said. The House bill, which would raise the U.S. minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour, did include the Northern Marana Islands.

Shadegg said the Samoan/Starkist exemption is fishy.

"Simply put: It is unethical to provide a special benefit to a company in any member of Congress' hometown," he said. "For Democrats to act in such a manner so early on in their tenure is hypocritical at best, and criminal at worst," said Shadegg.

Pelosi's office told The Washington Times that Starkist and Del Monte had not lobbied her on the issue.

 

[MAC1]

So much for claiming to care for workers. I guess $3.62 an hour in American Samoa must be more than enough to live on.

 

[fossten]

Update

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Friday, Jan. 12, 2007 4:34 p.m. EST

Pelosi Snared in Wage-Hike Tuna Net


Republicans say there’s something "fishy” about the House Democrats’ minimum wage hike, which exempts employers in American Samoa – site of a StarKist Tuna packing plant – from paying the increase.

What does StarKist have to do with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats? StarKist’s parent company, Del Monte Corp., happens to be headquartered in Pelosi’s San Francisco congressional district.


"I am shocked,” declared Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., who pointed out that Pelosi campaigned on promises of honest government. "We find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats.”



The House on Wednesday voted to gradually raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 by 2009.

The bill includes, for the first time, employers in the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, but it exempts American Samoa, another Pacific island territory.


More than 5,000 Samoans – nearly 75 percent of the island’s work force – work in two packing plants there, one operated by StarKist Tuna and the other by California-based Chicken of the Sea, according to the Washington Times.

Some GOP House members who voted in favor of the wage hike bill didn’t learn until after the vote that the legislation did not include American Samoa.


"My intention was to raise the minimum wage for everyone,” Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill., told the Times. "We shouldn’t permit any special favors or exemptions that are not widely discussed in Congress. This is the problem with rushing legislation through without full debate.”



After the exemption came to light, Pelosi said she had asked the Education and Labor Committee "as we go forward with the legislation to make sure that all of the territories comply with the U.S. law on the minimum wage.”

She also said she has never received any campaign contributions from Del Monte.

In addition to the Del Monte-San Francisco connection, there is a link between the company and another prominent Democrat: Following a 2002 business deal, about 75 percent of Del Monte stock is owned by shareholders of the H.J. Heinz Company – whose heirs include Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Massachusetts Democrat - and failed 2004 presidential candidate - Sen. John Kerry.

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

Open mouth, insert your own defication.....

Posted on Sun, Jan. 14, 2007

Minimum-wage law to include all territories

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Fending off charges of favoritism, House Democrats say a just-passed minimum wage bill will be changed to cover all U.S. territories – including American Samoa – before it reaches President Bush’s desk.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters she has instructed the House Education and Labor Committee to help get the bill changed to “make sure that all of the territories have to comply with the U.S. law on minimum wage.”

Her remark Friday followed accusations from Republicans a day earlier that American Samoa, which is not now covered by the $5.15 an hour federal minimum wage, was not included in the law raising the federal pay floor to $7.25 an hour because StarKist has a large cannery in the island chain. StarKist is owned by Del Monte Foods Co., which has its headquarters in San Francisco, Pelosi’s district.

“Something is indeed fishy when the federal minimum wage is good for all Americans as espoused by the Democrat majority, yet we exempt a small, in many terms economically struggling island,” Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told colleagues on the House floor last week.

The bill was passed Wednesday by the House as part of the Democrats’ 100-hour agenda. The measure included in its coverage another U.S. territory, the Northern Mariana Islands, which had been shielded in the past from the wage law with the help of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, now serving a prison sentence.

Spokesmen for both Pelosi and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the author of the minimum wage bill, said it excluded American Samoa at the request of non-voting Delegate Eni Faleomavaega, a Democrat who represents the Pacific island territories in the House.

Raising the federal minimum wage would devastate the local tuna industry, Faleomavaega said in a statement last week, noting that American Samoa’s economy is “more than 80 percent” dependent on two U.S. tuna processors, Chicken of the Sea and StarKist.

Faleomavaega said the Labor Department reviews Samoa’s minimum wages every two years.

Pelosi "made it right", so STFU.
*owned*

 

[fossten]

There you go again, trying to suppress people's freedom of speech with your silly STFU. Only libs do that.

Nobody got *owned* here, Pelosi got caught with her hand in the tuna jar and had to come clean and stop using the government to protect her own interests. It's not the first time that's happened with a Dem (William Jefferson, D-La, Harry Reid), and it won't be the last. Culture of corruption and all that.

 

[Calabrio]

Do you think the Speaker of House simply missed that little contingency in the bill? It totally slipped by her that an industry she was representing was excluded from this piece of bad legislation?

So, which is it? The new speaker is either a hypocrite or a absent minded and not paying attention to detail.... which is it?

 

[fossten]

Do you think the Speaker of House simply missed that little contingency in the bill? It totally slipped by her that an industry she was representing was excluded from this piece of bad legislation?

So, which is it? The new speaker is either a hypocrite or a absent minded and not paying attention to detail.... which is it?

Now you stop bashing the Speaker of the House. Why, she's a grandmother and a politician AND she has a facelift, and she's taking care of the children while taking care of the country. Don't you dare bash somebody who's multitasking. She's way better than that childless single woman Condi Rice, who doesn't have anything to do but listen to Bush all day and unqualifiedly send our troops to fight in an unjust war.

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

:bsflag:

If the repugs were still in control, there wouldn't even BE a minimum wage increase in consideration, for ANYBODY. Now that Pelosi pushes one forward and initially exempts one territory at the request of her delegate, NOW you RWWs get all uppity and self rightous about this one territory NOT getting one?? BALONEY, 'yall are full of it. HYPOCRITES!

*owned*

 

[fossten]

:bsflag:

If the repugs were still in control, there wouldn't even BE a minimum wage increase in consideration, for ANYBODY. Now that Pelosi pushes one forward and initially exempts one territory at the request of her delegate, NOW you RWWs get all uppity and self rightous about this one territory NOT getting one?? BALONEY, 'yall are full of it. HYPOCRITES!

*owned*

Excuse me, but the only thing we've heard for the last year from the sanctimonious Demoncrats is Culture of corruption, culture of corruption. You just glossed over the FACT that Pelosi was acting in a CORRUPT and HYPOCRITICAL manner, excusing it because she's a Democrat and you obviously cannot be intellectually honest. If you want to debate the merits or demerits of the minimum wage increase, then do so. Otherwise, since you are not contributing Mr. Driveby Troll, to use YOUR WORDS, STFU.

 

[Calabrio]

:bsflag:

If the repugs were still in control, there wouldn't even BE a minimum wage increase in consideration, for ANYBODY.

How convenient of her. She'll pass an economically unwise policy, but conveniently EXEMPT her constituents.

So is she corrupt, dirty, careless, or stupid... you didn't answer.

Now that Pelosi pushes one forward and initially exempts one territory at the request of her delegate, NOW you RWWs get all uppity and self rightous about this one territory NOT getting one?? BALONEY, 'yall are full of it. HYPOCRITES!

*owned*

There's nothing hypocritical about it. It's a bad law. No one should be subject to it, not just the large corporation within her district.

The only "ownage" here came about when SHE was caught and called on it.


But- let's be honest- you're defending her. Why should the "evil" corporation within her congressional district be exempt from the law? What makes them special? Defend it... the floor is yours. Why not the small business that likes to give high school kids part time jobs over the summer in Chicago?

Otherwise... YOU are the hypocrite, not us. We don't think ANYONE should be subject to it, you support her protecting the industry in her district. Seems like a hypocritical double standard to me, but make your case.

 

[fossten]

He can't - he's a coward, hurling driveby insults from his lonely peanut gallery.

Johnny has proven my contention that we can have discussions without insults until he shows up. He's nothing but a troll.

 

[Joeychgo]

Excuse me, but the only thing we've heard for the last year from the sanctimonious Demoncrats is Culture of corruption, culture of corruption.

Maybe the repugs would have heard more if they weren't busy texting congressional pages --- and shooting their friends with birdshot...

 

[Joeychgo]

How convenient of her. She'll pass an economically unwise policy, but conveniently EXEMPT her constituents.

Kinda reminds me of Haliburton a bit....

 

[Calabrio]

Kinda reminds me of Haliburton a bit....

How so....? Haliburton is a company, not the leader of the House of Representatives.

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

How convenient of her. She'll pass an economically unwise policy, but conveniently EXEMPT her constituents.

That's your opinion. And you'd be in the minority, given that every state that had a vote last November voted FOR a min-wage increase.

So is she corrupt, dirty, careless, or stupid... you didn't answer.

She's probably careless. But possibly she's just like any other politician, "testing the waters". But she's vindicated herself by making things right.

But- let's be honest- you're defending her. Why should the "evil" corporation within her congressional district be exempt from the law? What makes them special? Defend it... the floor is yours. Why not the small business that likes to give high school kids part time jobs over the summer in Chicago?

I don't support her exempting anyone in her district.

Otherwise... YOU are the hypocrite, not us. We don't think ANYONE should be subject to it, you support her protecting the industry in her district. Seems like a hypocritical double standard to me, but make your case.

No, YOU (not you Calabrio, because you didn't post the initial attack on Pelosi) are the hypocrites. The other two clowns attacked her for an exemption they wouldn't even want in the first place. Then they refused to come clean when Pelosi made the correction and I had to step in and point that out.

Johnny has proven my contention that we can have discussions without insults until he shows up. He's nothing but a troll.

I have no interest in joining your little insignificant RWW circle jerk, but I'm more than happy to shine a spotlight on it.

 

[MonsterMark]

Pelosi "made it right", so STFU.
*owned*

You Sir are simply ludicrous. Stunning. Just stunning.

 

[Calabrio]

That's your opinion. And you'd be in the minority, given that every state that had a vote last November voted FOR a min-wage increase.

I don't mind being in the minority, especially when I'm right...

She's probably careless. But possibly she's just like any other politician, "testing the waters". But she's vindicated herself by making things right.

So you think she just didn't bother to read this high profile piece of legislation, and it was a coincidence that the giant industry in her district was expect from this law?

She vindicated herself by "making it right?" So, do you think she would have changed it had Republicans not focused on the hypocrisy?

I don't support her exempting anyone in her district.

But you don't condemn it either.

No, YOU (not you Calabrio, because you didn't post the initial attack on Pelosi) are the hypocrites. The other two clowns attacked her for an exemption they wouldn't even want in the first place. Then they refused to come clean when Pelosi made the correction and I had to step in and point that out.

It's not hypocritical to be opposed to a law, then criticize the woman who spearheaded the movement when she exempts those close to her. To the contrary, it's hypocritical to support the law, then exempt those around you.

What she did, initially, underscores the fact it's a bad law that will do more harm than good.

It's like when liberals say criticize people who support the war and say "I don't support the war, but you do, so why haven't you enlisted?" That's not being hypocritical. It's an attempt to point out what is perceived as a contradictory position.

I have no interest in joining your little insignificant RWW circle jerk, but I'm more than happy to shine a spotlight on it.

Tell you what, I'll continue to keep things civil in my posts, if you try to keep the poison of your responses.... There's no RWW circle jerk, and the comment itself is unproductive. If you think so, you're not reading these threads. I know I've taken issue with other conservatives here, as have other conservatives taken issue with things I've said.

 

[Iszi]

Not sure if anyone's caught this yet, but I find this quite disturbing:

Some GOP House members who voted in favor of the wage hike bill didn’t learn until after the vote that the legislation did not include American Samoa.

Under the assumption that all house members are given a copy of a proposed bill prior to voting upon it, I'm lead to gather that either our house members are either lying to the press (of course, not surprising of a politician) or they're just too lazy and inattentive to effectively perform their duties, and don't belong in the job they've been given!

If it weren't for the fact that this is something affecting thousands of people, I'd say to the House, they should let Pelosi have her little exemption. Shame on them for not having caught it before they put a word in for it!

 

[fossten]

Not sure if anyone's caught this yet, but I find this quite disturbing:



Under the assumption that all house members are given a copy of a proposed bill prior to voting upon it, I'm lead to gather that either our house members are either lying to the press (of course, not surprising of a politician) or they're just too lazy and inattentive to effectively perform their duties, and don't belong in the job they've been given!

If it weren't for the fact that this is something affecting thousands of people, I'd say to the House, they should let Pelosi have her little exemption. Shame on them for not having caught it before they put a word in for it!

You're forgetting the possibility that CERTAIN House members might not have received the copies containing...shall we say...ALL the pertinent information.

 

[Calabrio]

You're forgetting the possibility that CERTAIN House members might not have received the copies containing...shall we say...ALL the pertinent information.

And the reality, most house members don't read the entire bills before they sign them. At best, they have staffers read them, and outline the sections that are note worthy.

The fact that one group is exempt isn't noteworthy- the fact that she's in the Speaker's district makes it politically significant.

 

[daves2000ls]

Kinda reminds me of Haliburton a bit....

I was thinkin that too.