New Yorkers get that much closer to two dimes to rub together

So the New York senate showed they’ve got a pair yesterday and passed a measure that’ll raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.15 an hour over two years. A step in the right direction, though it’s no Washington state, which beats ‘em by a whole penny. Whoo. Or even Oregon, at a comparatively high but still pathetic $7.05.

It’s appalling that more states aren’t following suit and upping the rate—and even more appalling is that even the highest minimum wages put a person’s annual income at or hovering just a little below the poverty line, depending on how big your family is.

The primary argument from the bastards who oppose raising the minimum is that it’ll harm the “small” businesses that will have to pay the increase.

Um, boo fucking hoo. This shouldn’t even be a question. Small business, large corporate megalith, Not a fucking issue. Pay your people a living wage. Period, End of story. If you can’t pull it off financially, don’t take it out on your employee. If you can’t pull it off emotionally, just do us all a favor and kill yourself.

Pataki whined before the NY senate (the REPUBLICANS, no less) rammed it through. “Oh, we’ll, be less competitive with New Jersey, and my ass hurts.”

Let me take a wild fucking stab in the dark here, George, but maybe that’s a problem that YOU need to fix some OTHER way than trying yet again to fuck your constituency without even the passing mention of a reacharound.