Chris Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Bill Over 25¢

From Addicting Info:  http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/28/chris-christie-vetoes-minimum-wage-bill-over-25/

Lorraine Devon Wilke
2013/01/28

Oh, Chris Christie, you feisty New Jersey truth-teller who eschews partisan politics in lieu of street savvy solutions! We loved it when you fought for the little guy before, during, and after Hurricane Sandy. There was something noble about your embrace of Obama while collaborating to get things done during that rough patch. How refreshing has it been to watch a real politician put people over demagoguery, truth over party line, and personal principles over pontification.

So, tell me, why is a $1.25/per hour raise to the minimum wage veto-worthy? And why, when you had a minute to think about, did it seem that lowering it by one quarter, 25¢/per hour, was doable? I guess going all the way up to the staggering $8.50, instead of the current $7.25, was just too big of a leap, yeah? But go with $8.25, bring you that 25¢ decrease on a platter, and you’re ready to go?

One New Jersey governor knocked off his pedestal.

Who in this life and times thinks even $8.50/per hour represents anything more than the most basic – most “minimum” – of wages? Yes, anyone who’s desperate for a job, anyone who needs income regardless of the rate, would gladly accept that amount; but any businessperson, anyone who’s been part of the working world and is older than the age of 15, understands that this is exactly what it’s called: minimum wage. The lowest you can go. It’s not a good wage, it’s a minimum wage.

So as a father of four, a man of the streets, a guy who knows what it’s like for people out there in the real world, how does Christie justify squabbling over 25¢?

According to SFGate, Christie hit the January 28^th deadline affixed to the bill and activated a “conditional veto,” returning the bill to lawmakers with his conditions:

Christie’s conditional veto returns the bill with the suggestion that lawmakers scale back the increase by 25 cents, to $1 per hour and phase it in over three years in increments of 25 cents the first year, 50 cents the second year and 25 cents the third year. Christie also rejected the idea of implementing automatic annual adjustments while encouraging the Democratic-led Legislature to restore a tax credit to the working poor.

Continue reading at:  http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/28/chris-christie-vetoes-minimum-wage-bill-over-25/