Brady: Drop Minimum Wage To Federal Levels

By aaroncynic in News on Jun 29, 2010 6:40PM

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady would like to see Illinois’ minimum wage drop to federal levels, according to remarks he made after a campaign appearance last week. The minimum wage in Illinois, currently $8.00 an hour, is set to increase to $8.25 an hour on July 1st. Brady however, would rather see it match the federal level at $7.25. Brady told reporters “For the state of Illinois to come in and micromanage wages above the federal minimum wage is a mistake” and went on to say that Illinois is losing jobs “because private sector business investments (are) going to other states.”

As we’ve posted before, minimum wage workers in Illinois are making less than they were 30 years ago. It’s hard to believe that Brady, who made $119,000 last year (and didn't pay income tax for a few years), understands what life is like for minimum wage workers in the state, many of whom already live close to the federal poverty line making $8.00 an hour. A drop back down to $7.25 an hour (from $8) means a loss of $1,560, which is nearly 10% of a minimum wage worker’s income. Governor Quinn seized the opportunity to criticize Brady on Monday, saying “If you work hard, if you work 40 hours a week and you do your level best and you do a good job, you shouldn't have to live in poverty.”