Monday, January 19, 2015
Now Handy Andy calls for an increase in minimum wage
And proposes two different rates for the two different parts of his state, the City and Upstate.
Flanked by a collection of liberal groups and labor leaders, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday announced a raft of proposals on social issues, among them a plan that would raise the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour in New York City and $10.50 an hour in the rest of the state.Two interesting points, first he is now in favor of two different rates, which he was not when he was blasting Mayor Bill DeBlasio. And second, he now has the state senate firmly in the grasp of the Republicans so he can fail whenever it is convenient for him.
If approved by the State Legislature, the proposal would make New York’s minimum wage among the highest in the country. But traditional Republican opposition in the State Senate, where that party holds a majority, makes the passage of such legislation far from assured.
Still, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, seemed cautiously optimistic that an improving economy, including robust recent gains on Wall Street and the stock market, would make it easier to cut a deal.
“The world has changed,” said Mr. Cuomo, when asked about past Republican opposition, adding: “The market is strong and I believe the market, this market, at this rate of strength, can deal with this.”
The state last increased the minimum wage in 2013, approving a three-year rollout that pushed the hourly rate to $8.75 from $7.25. That wage will rise to $9 an hour by 2016. But on Sunday, Mr. Cuomo suggested that the rate of increase was too slow, saying “the wage gap has continued to increase.” Under his proposal, the wage would increase to $11.50 and $10.50 at the end of 2016.
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