Farlow Critizes Oponent’s Anti-Minimum Wage Vote

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For Immediate Release
February 22, 2007
Contact: (757) 345-5300
info@troyfarlow.com

Farlow responds to the House’s defeat of bipartisan measure that would have helped working-class families

WILLIAMSBURG – Troy Farlow, candidate for House of Delegates in the 96th District, responded today to the House's defeat of a measure that would have raised the minimum wage in Virginia to $6.50 per hour on July 1, 2007. 

Farlow said, "Raising the minimum wage is a step in the right direction for both our working families and our economy.  One of the greatest businessmen in American history, Henry Ford, figured it out long ago:  If we pay our workers more, they can spend more, boosting our overall economy, including small businesses."

Farlow continued, "While the minimum wage has not been adjusted for ten years, the cost of living has certainly gone up.  We live in a time when buying a box of cereal, a gallon of milk and a carton of orange juice to feed a family breakfast costs nearly a third of a day's pay at minimum wage."

Troy Farlow, a former small business owner, said he understands the concerns of businesses when it comes to raising the minimum wage.  "I know the pressures put on small business," he said.  “I also know that this modest, reasonable increase wouldn’t have even affected the vast majority of small businesses in our area because quite frankly, employees in our region are already being paid more than the suggested hourly rate that was proposed in this bill.  This is all the more reason a modest increase would have been reasonable.  I understand what is reasonable and fair.  This minimum wage increase would have been both."

House Republicans, including Delegate Melanie Rapp (R-96), defeated the bill by voting to send it to the Committee on Appropriations, which will not be meeting again this session.  Senator Tommy Norment (R-3) though voted for the increase in the minimum wage, along with 30 other Senators, in passing the bill in the Senate, understanding himself that this was a reasonable and fair increase for the working families of our community.