Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

GOP candidate expands on plan to cut jobs if elected - would also reduce wages for those remaining employed

St. Paul (July 5, 2010) - Today, GOP-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer said, on his latest Tea Party tour, that he would fight to make tips count toward the hourly pay for minimum wage if he were elected governor, effectively reducing the income of hardworking Minnesotans.

"It was bad enough when Tom Emmer was just promising to cut thousands of jobs, but now he wants to cut wages too? That's appalling," said DFL spokesperson Kristin Sosanie. "We need a governor who will fight to get Minnesotans back to work, not take money out of the pockets of middle class families and force them to worry even more about how they're going to pay the bills during these difficult times. If anyone needed any more proof of the extent to which Tom Emmer is out of touch with everyday Minnesotans, there it is."

Background:

Emmer wants tips to count for minimum wage. "Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer says Minnesota should factor tips into the hourly pay for minimum wage workers in restaurants and other gratuity-based jobs. After visiting a St. Paul restaurant Monday on a listening tour, Emmer advocated for a so-called ‘tip credit' to the state minimum wage." [Associated Press, 7/5/10]