Joseph -- I've said this many times, but it bears repeating: Every commented submitted to this blog requires approval before posting. Most days, we monitor comments from 8am-8pm ET. If a post is really hot in the blogosphere and hundreds of people are commenting, I work overtime. In this case, I didn't see your comments until Tuesday morning and approved them once I concluded they met our standards.

Brian so far i have spent over two hour's trying to place a comment on your website only to not have it posted. If this comment does not post I am going to slander this website all over the internet.

The fact that people are earning 5:15 per hour in this day and age is appalling. At a time when corporations are making huge profit's, more like excessive profit's is precisly why we should not just raise the minimum wage, but raise it to a real living wage. Let's raise the poor up to a class of people that even though they do the job's most people would rather not they can come home from a hard day's work and be proud of who they are. It's safe to say that a hundred percent of those earning a minimum have a need to apply for government assistance re.medical, food stamp's child care etc. Let's raise the minimum wage and provide medical for all at the same time. Raise the minimum wage to ten doller's per hour with a stipulation that each employee is to pay back one doller per hour into a fund for medical coverage. If we have fifty mil. people in the work force that would generate ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLER'S A YEAR. Now most of those earning a living wage will no longer need government handout's, and instead the government subsidize a percentage of the cost of those business's for a couple of year's who were hardest hit by the pay raise. I believe this will help the economy rather then hurt it. Million's of people will be able to do more then just pay their bill's and therefor will have extra money for a sunday drive, or a fishing trip, a dinner out. One cannot deny that this will instill pride and self worth in those doing the work that most would rather not, and also encourage those who would not work for minimum wage to again seek gainful employment. For those who would say a minimum wage hike would hurt the economy, is akin to saying that when the economy is in trouble we could help it by lowering it, I say hogwash. Let's eliminate poverty and restore the people's dignity.

The best point made so far has come from T. King in regards to the most obvious facty that if you can't afford to feed and maintain yourself, why are you having kids? If you are not doing well in the US today it is because YOU have made the wrong choices and YOU need to stop looking for strangers to save you from yourself. Of course, the Democrates need people to need stranges to care for them or they would not get voted in. Keep people low income by messing with the school system as they have done since the 60's to keep that voter block out there.

I think the answer on minimum wage is for states and communities to raise it themselves (as Illinois did about 2 years ago), not to wait for the federal government to do so. You saw the in the Congressional contretemps with its being attached to a bill eliminating the death tax the sort of political games our lawmakers will play with it. And for what--so candidates can run for re-election saying they tried to get the minimum wage raised but couldn't?

"Promote the general welfare"....Not Support. It is a companies place to make money, not be the welfare department. In this country you can pick your employer, it is not mandated, as well as your type of career. I choose to be a industrial mechanic in a steel foundry, a hot, hard, and sometimes dangerous job that offers me two days off every 28 days. Why such a lousy choice...It pays me about 90k a year. I was a restraunt manager for years before and at the last minimum wage increase, all that did was devalue the wage I already paid KIDS that was above minimum and when new hires got paID WHAT 2 YEAR EMPLOYEES DID I was forced to give raises to everyone. Then costs of goods sold went up because all of my costs did, re: produce, lawn care , trash removal, everything. But don't worry, the chain I worked for did not go belly up, or cut it's proffit wich is how it grows and offers others jobs, brings in taxes, and expands communities.... The customers just had to pay more, that wonderful economy booster just made everyone elses pay check a little less valuable. As for that mere 2.10 a hour over two years, the average wage earner gets less then 3% raise a year, I will not insult you with the math but at 5.15 a hour, my employer would go bankrupt trying to keep up with this astonishin forced giveaway of others money. This is real corparate welfare

Yes it is sad that the minimum wage was not raised.
But our Congress should never give in to extortion by the wealthy.
Another minimum wage bill can be presented when Congress comes back from vacation, maybe without riders this time.

NBC Nightly News should have said it was the Democratic Senators who voted not to raise the minimum wage. This newscast was definitly BIASED.

If you are trying to raise a family on $5.15 an hour, you are a loser. Entry-level jobs that pay minimum wage are not meant for somebody trying to raise a family. They're meant for kids in school or adults with minimum job skills. Basically people trying to get out and earn a little extra money. It's not meant to support a family. If you have kids and $5.15 an hour is the best you can do, it is your own fault that you brought those kids into this world without the means to provide for them. It is not the job of an employer to step in and cover for the irresponsibility of some fool that thinks they can raise a family without any job skills.

And it is not the role of the federal government to set wages either. There is absolutely no clause anywhere in the Constitution which gives the federal government the authority to step into the middle of wage negotiations between an employee and an employer. The federal government derives its powers from specific clauses in our Constitution. If the Constitution doesn't grant the power, the power doesn't exist.

I agree that minimum wage is not a living wage but raising it could also cause a backlash. Companies operate on profit margins and unfortunately they will likely be unwilling to bear any of the cost of increased wages by decreasing their margins, they will pass it directly along to the consumer. What this means is perhaps the person will make more but in essence end up in the same prediciment because they have to pay more for goods and services. This will also actually hurt the person who makes say $8.00 per hour as they will not see an increase in salary but will share the brunt of the inflated prices at retail. I dont know what the answer is but raising the minimum wage may actually hurt more than it helps.

Minimum wage should no way be attached to a bill that benifits the rich, it should be all by itself, no strings attached, I can't believe the republicans could be so sneaky to attach something to benifit them, as to something that would benifit the people who truely deserve to be rewarded more than a measley 2.10 cent raise over a three year period,,, comon America it's up to you to stand up to the plate & be heard each & every one of us. I know a guy who had a 80,000.00 or more a year job, who has lost it with all the outsourcing of our jobs, that now is a minumum wage earner himself, what a slap in the face hu? It could happen to the best of you, & don't think it can't! Pretty soon it could be you begging for a measley 2.10 an hour. Wow!!!! In three years you will be making 7.25 an hour & taking more crap than ever. And these bussinesses should be down right ashamed of themselves, as they take thier vacations on thier yahts, lavish hotel stays, & were all lucky we can afford a tank of gas & take our kids to the shore, put them on rides, play some games, & maybe have money left to buy them a hot dog & a soda. Comon Americans,,Wake Up!!!! Write your congressmen, senator, the president & tell them were tired of the way this countries run. They vote thier own pay raises, & it's way more than 2.10 an hour over a three year period! Get the big picture yet?????This is America , Home of the brave, land of the free & home of the UNDER PAID!!! AMEN!!!