RUSH: AP: ‘The City Council brushed aside warnings from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to approve an ordinance that makes Chicago the biggest city in the nation to require big-box retailers to pay a ‘living wage.’ The ordinance, which passed 35-14 Wednesday after three hours of impassioned debate, requires mega-retailers to pay wages of at least $10 an hour plus $3 in fringe benefits,’ $3 in fringe benefits? ‘by mid-2010. It would only apply to companies with more than $1 billion in annual sales and stores of at least 90,000 square feet. ‘It’s trying to get the largest companies in America to pay decent wages,’ Ald[erman] Toni Preckwinkle said.’

No, it’s not.

‘The minimum wage in Illinois is $6.50 an hour and the federal minimum is $5.15. Mayor Richard M. Daley and others warned the living wage proposal would drive jobs and desperately needed development from some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods and lead giants like Wal-Mart to abandon the city.’ It’s exactly right. Wal-Mart will ring the city. Wal-Mart will surround the city, but they will not go there. (Laughing.) This has nothing to do with a ‘livable wage.’ This has nothing to do with making big companies pay a livable wage. This is all about unions. This is all about the Democrats being loyal to unions. I think the ACORN group was behind this, a huge liberal group.

For the rest of today's transcript, click here: https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2006/07/27/raising_minimum_wage_causes_job_loss_wal_mart_will_now_just_surround_chicago/