By Aamer Mahdani
USA Today, April 2, 2014
With Congress expected to soon begin debating whether to lift the minimum wage, President Obama on Wednesday said lawmakers must choose between giving Americans "the shaft" or "a raise." ...
Obama traveled to the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan for his latest push on the issue.
In the coming days, the Senate is likely to debate a plan by Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin that would gradually lift today's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 by 2016. Democrats will need 60 Senate votes to overcome Republican opposition to the increase. ...
Before delivering his address on the Michigan campus, Obama had lunch at Zingerman's Deli, an iconic Ann Arbor restaurant. Zingerman's owner, Paul Saginaw, is part of a coalition of business owners that has advocated gradually raising the minimum wage.
Saginaw made the case that raising the minimum wage is good for businesses' bottom line.
"We know from experience a minimum wage increase makes great sense for business," he said. "Since opening Zingerman's Deli almost 32 years ago, we've grown to eight businesses employing 625 permanent staff with revenues just under $50 million. Paying entry wages our employees can live on has been important for our profitability and our annual compounded growth rate of 10%." ...
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