I would like to pose some rhetorical questions to all Democrats as we close in on the 2006 primary elections and then prepare for the mid-terms in November.  Which party and whose followers were responsible for the rise of labor unions in this country?  Which president was responsible for the Works Progress Admn. (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to put jobless men to work and build the infra-structure of this country following the Great Depression of the 1930's?  Which president conceived the idea of Social Security?  Clue: Neither the party nor the president were Republican.

Which party conceived of and fought for a federal minimum wage?  Which party has diligently fought against any and all labor reform except to reform it downward?  Of course right now state Republicans are patting themselves on the back over their miniscule move of bringing the $4.75 per hr. state rate to the $5.15 per hr. federal rate which itself hasn't been raised in 8 1/2 yrs.  Also, how many know that state wage laws are manipulated to the point where depending on an employers gross sales, non-tipped employees may receive as little as $2.80 to $3.35 per hr. and tipped employees only $2.01 per hr.?

Did you happen to see a recent Medina Gazette political cartoon that humorously but nevertheless suggested that if American workers picked our strawberries they would likely cost up to $57 per quart?  Given this was a gross exaggeration to make a point on our immigration problem, is this not the first hue and cry of affected corporations and their loyal Republican legislators?  "If you raise the minimum wage, we'll have to raise our prices and lay people off and jobs will be lost and the market suffers etc, etc, etc."

I simply ask the question:  Each and everyone who reads this knows how their own wage compares to the starvation wages I have just described.  I, for one, am confidant that anyone accepting our Democratic philosophy and fortunate enough to be making a living wage - not a lavish wage - is not scared off by the thought of having to pay enough for a product that those who produce it can afford themselves decent shelter and a healthy diet.

I trust many of you have already heard our Ohio State Democratic legislators are presently hard at work on a ballot initiative for November 06 to raise the state minimum wage to $6.85 per hr.  You already know why they couldn't get it passed - through the house and senate; hopfully the voters will be more compassionate than our present majority party.

I have just learned from Pat Walker, contact person for our Medina County Committee for Informed Citizens, that during the week of April 3-7 The Ohio Labor Movement has been circulating petitions to get this issue on the ballot.  I would ask anyone who sees this long neglected need to sign a petition if presented to them.

Better yet, anyone who would like to be a distributor of these petitions may call labor leader John Gallo at 216-881-7200. It is estimated nearly a half million Ohioans would benefit from this proposed minimum wage increase.

Buz Cormany
Medina, OH