Wages and Paris

What do frozen wages and Paris Hilton have in common? A bill that just passed Congress and is in the Senate. This bill would finally raise the minimum wage nationally for the first time in a decade. While raising America's working poor further out of poverty Republicans inserted a poison pill provision eliminating the inheritance tax on people like Paris Hilton. This country has frowned on the passing of great fortunes from generation to generation and taxes these huge estates appropriately. GOP leaders like Joe Pitts and Melissa Hart hate this tax because it hurts their constituents. Pitts cringes at the thought his people in Chester County horse country with their vast equestrian estates might actually have to pay taxes when they die.

If you didn't believe this was class warfare this bill proves the point. In order to pass any sort of raise the poorest of our working people Republicans are tying it to a tax giveaway for the richest of the rich. I have a better idea: return estate taxes to their level 25 years ago and use those funds for increased tax credits for the working poor. This is the only income group that has fared well under Bush's voodoo economics and they've done extremely well. It's time for some social responsiblity instead of 200 foot yachts.