From: Democratic National Committee & Democratic Party of Virginia
Date: October 15, 2014
Re: Gillespie & Paul Campaign Events
Ed Gillespie has trailed in every poll since getting into the race – so he may be happy Senator Rand Paul is coming to try to boost his campaign, but there’s a group of approximately 717,200 Virginians who will be less than thrilled.
717,200 Virginia workers would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage – an increase that both Gillespie and Paul have opposed in words and in their actions.
Gillespie said he didn’t “believe in a federally mandated increase in the minimum wage” and has misrepresented the issue during the campaign. And Gillespie has been called out by Virginians for saying minimum wage jobs are “where you play on the work softball team or go out for a beer after work.”
Paul has been no different. Paul calls the minimum wage a “temporary” thing and said the government shouldn’t even decide a minimum wage. This was all before he stood with the Senate Republicans to block an increase that would have given 28 million Americans a raise.
Here’s a reality check for Paul and Gillespie: the minimum wage isn’t just for kids with their first job – of those who would benefit from an increase, fewer than 12 percent are under the age of 20 – it’s what many Virginians and Americans survive on.
Opposing common sense proposals may work in the Senate GOP caucus for Paul or with Gillespie’s former DC lobbyist clients but it doesn’t work for 717,200 Virginians. And the bad news for Gillespie? They vote.
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