The $15 minimum wage is probably the most important material benefit Democrats can deliver for working people if they are to turn the tide of despair and remain viable in future elections. Yet it seems unlikely the “blue dog” faction will go along with the $15 hour proposal. What to do to move forward? As usual, there seems a dearth of ideas and we get political theatre while the suffering suffer.
The thought occurs to me to seek agreement around a lower minimum wage figure such as $12 an hour to assuage blue dogs and business interests and then make up the difference with something akin to an advance earned income tax credit of $3 an hour.