Alaska's Joe Miller Wants to Abolish Federal Minimum Wage

[Heracles 417]

The movement to take America back into the stone ages has begun.

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Alaska's Joe Miller Wants to Abolish Federal Minimum Wage

GOP Senate Candidate Hopes to Scale Back Federal Government's Power

By JONATHAN KARL

Oct. 4, 2010—

Alaska's Joe Miller now has the solid support of the Republican establishment, but in an exclusive interview with ABC News, he makes it clear he's determined to shake-up Washington and the Republican party -- in a big way.

"We aren't going there to play ball, we're going to make sure things get done," Miller said in wide-ranging interview with Politico's Mike Allen and me over lunch at the Capitol Hill restaurant, We The Pizza. Miller wants to roll back the power and size of the federal government to a degree not seen for 70 years or more.

We asked him, for example, if there should be a federally mandated minimum wage, something that has existed since Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938.

"That is clearly up to the states," Miller said. "The state of Alaska has a minimum wage which is higher than the federal level because our state leaders have made that determination. The minimum level again should be the state's decision."

So there should not be a federal minimum wage?

"There should not be," Miller answered. "That is not within the scope of the powers that are given to the federal government."

State Power Versus Federal Government

Running as a tea party insurgent, Miller defeated incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski in a stunning upset to win the Republican nomination for Senate in Alaska.

A graduate of West Point and Yale University Law School, Miller wants to scale back the size and power of the federal government to the powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

"What I'd recommend that you do is go to the Constitution and look at the enumerated powers because what we have is something that we call the 10th amendment that says, look if it's not there if it's not enumerated, then it's delegated to the states," Miller said. "Everything that's not there is reserved to the states and the people."

Miller stood by his previous statement that federal unemployment insurance is also not authorized by the Constitution and that the decision on whether or not to provide unemployment benefits should be up to the states, as should virtually all federal regulations that don't relate to interstate commerce.

"It still makes far more sense to have those kinds of decisions made at the level closest to the people, where there is more accountability, less inefficiency, where there is more understanding of where the people ought to be and what the state role of government is," Miller said. "If you like big government, move to Massachusetts."

Miller is now locked in a three-way race against Democrat Scott McAdams and Murkowski, who is running as a write-in candidate.

Miller, 43, and his wife Kathleen have eight kids, ages 7 to 21. If he wins, he and his wife plan to move to Washington with the six kids who still live at home.

"We are moving here, yes," Miller told us.

But don't call him a Washingtonian.

"No we're still Alaskans," he said. "I can guarantee you that we're gonna spend most of our time in Alaska that we can outside of the duties that we have here."

Copyright © 2010 ABC News Internet Ventures

Edited October 4, 2010 by Heracles

[^_^ 5,021]

The movement to take America back into the stone ages has begun.

It won't get very far. A handful of Congressmen and Senators aren't going to cut it. Mainstream Republicans are still not going to play ball on crazy chit like this. And we still have a Democratic President and there is absolutely no chance at all of the GOP getting a veto-proof majority in 2010.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

We asked him, for example, if there should be a federally mandated minimum wage, something that has existed since Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938.

"That is clearly up to the states," Miller said. "The state of Alaska has a minimum wage which is higher than the federal level because our state leaders have made that determination. The minimum level again should be the state's decision."

So there should not be a federal minimum wage?

"There should not be," Miller answered. "That is not within the scope of the powers that are given to the federal government."

This is a states rights issue. The feds have no business in this issue. It was a mistake in the 30's and it is still a mistake today.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It won't get very far. A handful of Congressmen and Senators aren't going to cut it. Mainstream Republicans are still not going to play ball on crazy chit like this. And we still have a Democratic President and there is absolutely no chance at all of the GOP getting a veto-proof majority in 2010.

If there were only enough John Smiths voting this November.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

The minimum wage should be abolished.

Technically there should be no need to have a minimum wage, ever. Granted, this goes along with the technical fact that there should never be inflation as well..... but yeah...

[Saddle Bronc 124]

This is a states rights issue. The feds have no business in this issue. It was a mistake in the 30's and it is still a mistake today.

seconded!

[Heracles 417]

Tea Party = Libertarian 2.0 = Race to the bottom.

I'll join the Dems if these groups with their batshit crazy ideas start to influence the country.

[Heracles 417]

The reality is that there are millions upon millions more Americans financially hurting than there are wealthy, to cater to the tea-party type.

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

Tea Party = Libertarian 2.0 = Race to the bottom.

I'll join the Dems if these groups with their batshit crazy ideas start to influence the country.

you're leaving the country, so you don't count

[^_^ 5,021]

you're leaving the country, so you don't count

He's been leaving for years!

[Ban Hammer 13,395]

He's been leaving for years!

[Heracles 417]

He's been leaving for years!

With the country going down the toilet, cannot wait to get out.