Is $15 Minimum Wage or Single-payer Healthcare better for the Dems to focus on?

[Blue3]

Is $15 Minimum Wage or Single-payer Healthcare better for the Dems to focus on?

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Single payer.  Even residents of Seattle are acknowledging the unintended side effects of raising the minimum wage.

[Lechasseur]

Single payer.  Even residents of Seattle are acknowledging the unintended side effects of raising the minimum wage.

[GlobeSoc]

Single payer

[Chief Justice Keef]

Both are equally important.

[Canis]

Single Payer  but the minimum wage is also important

[TPIG]

Single payer for sure. Healthcare is a topic that concerns all Americans, whereas the $15 minimum wage only concerns a small segment of the workforce. That said, both are terrible ideas.

[Blackacre]

MINIMUM. WAGE. If only because it's much easier to make into something other than an all-or-nothing approach like single-payer. After all, you can modulate how long a timeframe the min wage increase happens over to decrease the inflationary effects. I used to be an opponent of a $15 national min wage until I had this realization

[GlobeSoc]

MINIMUM. WAGE. If only because it's much easier to make into something other than an all-or-nothing approach like single-payer. After all, you can modulate how long a timeframe the min wage increase happens over to decrease the inflationary effects. I used to be an opponent of a $15 national min wage until I had this realization

I'm willing to compromise to 10-12$ on minimum wage but I'm not willing to settle for a public option. Easier to appeal to rurals with an SP/$12 than PO/$15, too, and potentially cost saving for the economy

[Blackacre]

MINIMUM. WAGE. If only because it's much easier to make into something other than an all-or-nothing approach like single-payer. After all, you can modulate how long a timeframe the min wage increase happens over to decrease the inflationary effects. I used to be an opponent of a $15 national min wage until I had this realization

I'm willing to compromise to 10-12$ on minimum wage but I'm not willing to settle for a public option. Easier to appeal to rurals with an SP/$12 than PO/$15, too, and potentially cost saving for the economy

The only absolutely critical thing IMO is that once we reach the min wage we're aiming for, whether it be $12 or $15, we index it to inflation so that the purchasing power of the worker doesn't decline over time again.

[cvparty]

this is a funny question

[Stranger in a strange land]

Single Payer: $15 is needed in the major cities, and in NYC and SF, we should probably be fighting for $18, but $15 is too high a minimum wage for much of the country; rather than a specific dollar amount, we should be focusing on a living wage.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

I really hate the whole $15 minimum wage thing. That's literally more than double what it is now. That doesn't work in a lot of areas. $10 minimum wage seems far more reasonable, and then $12 over time. The progressive bloodlust can be really annoying sometimes.

I would much prefer states rose minimum wage instead of the federal government mandating it anyways.

Also, multipayer may be good, but it's far better to start with a public option first. I would also like to see a state (probably California since a state like Vermont has issues with single payer) try single payer out first before we try it on the whole nation.

I don't think either of these issues should be focused on.

[Person Man]

I really hate the whole $15 minimum wage thing. That's literally more than double what it is now. That doesn't work in a lot of areas. $10 minimum wage seems far more reasonable, and then $12 over time. The progressive bloodlust can be really annoying sometimes.

I would much prefer states rose minimum wage instead of the federal government mandating it anyways.

Also, multipayer may be good, but it's far better to start with a public option first. I would also like to see a state (probably California since a state like Vermont has issues with single payer) try single payer out first before we try it on the whole nation.

I don't think either of these issues should be focused on.

For the most part. I think the minimum wage should be 48% of the median full time calculated wage in that MSA for that year. That's like 10 for most but could be like 18 in big cities. I also think that everyone making less than the median full time income should be non-exempt...or about 38000 a year. Obama was going to raise it to 48000.


I think Obamacare should be shored up until the uninsured rate rises much above 10%. If its repealed, I think its time for a public option to start with to corral things. Really think SP should be implemented in NY and CA if Obamacare is cancelled. That could build momentum.

[GoTfan]

I really hate the whole $15 minimum wage thing. That's literally more than double what it is now. That doesn't work in a lot of areas. $10 minimum wage seems far more reasonable, and then $12 over time. The progressive bloodlust can be really annoying sometimes.

I would much prefer states rose minimum wage instead of the federal government mandating it anyways.

Also, multipayer may be good, but it's far better to start with a public option first. I would also like to see a state (probably California since a state like Vermont has issues with single payer) try single payer out first before we try it on the whole nation.

I don't think either of these issues should be focused on.

You don't come to the table with the compromise. You start out at $15 minimum wage and single-payer, then compromise from there.

[varesurgent]

I really hate the whole $15 minimum wage thing. That's literally more than double what it is now. That doesn't work in a lot of areas. $10 minimum wage seems far more reasonable, and then $12 over time. The progressive bloodlust can be really annoying sometimes.

I would much prefer states rose minimum wage instead of the federal government mandating it anyways.

Also, multipayer may be good, but it's far better to start with a public option first. I would also like to see a state (probably California since a state like Vermont has issues with single payer) try single payer out first before we try it on the whole nation.

I don't think either of these issues should be focused on.

So much this. Single-payer will do great until Republicans decide to mention the tens of trillions it will cost.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

12$ minimum wage. $10ish would be a living wage, and $15 is high enough that it might actually have a negative impact.

[Orser67]

There isn't anything more important than single-payer healthcare, imo, except possibly instituting a carbon tax and/or enshrining the Clean Power Plan into law. I also prefer a $12 min wage to a $15 one, though I'd favor $15 over $7.

The only absolutely critical thing IMO is that once we reach the min wage we're aiming for, whether it be $12 or $15, we index it to inflation so that the purchasing power of the worker doesn't decline over time again.

I completely agree. While we're at it we should index the gas tax, too.

[Maxwell]

$15 Minimum Wage and Medicare for All are both good selling points, but I think Medicare for All is one that can be more realistically accomplished.

$15 Minimum Wage is something that will be tough to work out the specifics of, and those specifics will ultimately disappoint a lot of initial fans, because it will probably be gradual, and require some states to have lower than $15 Minimum Wage thanks to cost of living. I think some states, like California, New York, even Texas, where the cost of living is high and/or rising rapidly, can handle that while states like Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, where wages are low and the cost of living is low, can't.

[MAINEiac4434]

Single payer.

[JA]

Both are equally important.

[houseonaboat]

Single payer, $15 polls horribly and doesn't move any swing voters at all (it actually hurts them among voters they need the most in industrial states).

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

They shouldn't pursue either, unless the increase to $15 is phased in over 7+ years.

[Blue3]

Thoughts now?

[Sumner 1868]

Single-payer. Hawking the minimum wage over and over doesn't change the fundamental problem with cost of living.