Hartford, CT – Today, in new articles from the Hartford Courant and the Valley Independent Sentinel, the GOP candidates for governor doubled down on their anti-working families stances by blasting minimum wage increases.  Toni Boucher and Mark Boughton even went so far as to attack and demean those who earn minimum wage.

“Standing against working families, downplaying their struggles, and demeaning workers for earning the minimum wage makes it crystal clear how out of touch the GOP candidates for governor are with what’s important to Connecticut residents,” said Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Nancy DiNardo.  “While Toni Boucher, Mark Boughton, Tom Foley, Mark Lauretti and John McKinney continue to stand against working families and their interests, Governor Malloy and most Democratic legislators will continue to fight for the tools that help working families secure a stronger economic future.”

Boughton: “But ultimately, Boughton said, the debate over raising the minimum wage is the wrong discussion. ‘The Democratic plan is to have people aspire to earn the minimum wage,” he said. ‘We’re going to aspire for people to earn much above the minimum wage. … The Democrats routinely set their sights extraordinarily low and that’s not what America is about.'” [Hartford Courant, 1/3/14]

Boucher: “Yet Boucher said that when she talks to people about the issues that matter to them, the minimum wage is rarely mentioned. ‘It appears that this is political,’ she said. ‘The Democrats are trying to make Republicans look like they want to harm people, but nothing could be further from the truth.'” ” [Hartford Courant, 1/3/14]

Lauretti: “DiNardo also asked in a press release how Republican candidates felt about the minimum wage increase — from $8.25 to $8.70 per hour — that went into effect in Connecticut Jan. 1. ‘I have no comment on that,’ Lauretti said about the minimum wage.” [Valley Independent Sentinel, 1/3/14]

McKinney: Has remained silent in the press, but he voted against the Connecticut minimum wage increase in 2013.

Foley: Still a corporate buyout specialist who ruined working families’ lives to feed his own greed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIAGXvAjQiE

Background:

Boucher Voted Against Raising the Minimum Wage to $9 by 2015. According to the Office of Legislative Research, PA 13-117 “increases the hourly minimum wage from $8.25 to $8.70 on January 1, 2014 and from $8.70 to $9 on January 1, 2015…” [Office of Legislative Research, 2013 Major Acts; Vote #377, 5/23/13

Boughton Voted Against Increasing The State Minimum Wage To $6.70. In April 2000, Boughton voted against increasing the state minimum wage to $6.70. [Vote #214, 4/24/00; Public Act 00-144, Signed 5/26/00]

Boughton Voted Against Advancing Legislation That Increased The Minimum Wage Without Affecting The Hours Minors Could Work. In March 2000, Boughton voted against advancing legislation that would have increased the minimum wage to $6.65 per hour. The legislation did not include language that affected the number of hours minors could work. [HB 5160, 2000 Session, Planning And Development Committee Joint Favorable Vote Tally, 3/20/00; HB 5160 LCO No. 125, 2000 Session, Introduced 2/9/00]

McKinney Voted Against Increasing The Minimum Wage To $9 Per Hour In 2015. In May 2013, McKinney voted against increasing the from $8.25 to $8.70 in January 2014 and $9 in January 2015. [Public Act 13-117, Signed 6/6/13; Vote #377, 5/23/13]

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