Democratic Candidate for Commissioner of Labor Robbin Shipp Criticizes GOP Incumbent for Being “Out of Touch with Reality” at Debate

Release:  Wednesday, October 15, 2014    

                                                                                     

Democratic Candidate for Commissioner of Labor Robbin Shipp Criticizes Republican Incumbent for Being “Out of Touch with Reality” at Debate

 

 

Atlanta, GA – Sunday, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Labor, Robbin Shipp, criticized Republican incumbent Mark Butler for being “out of touch with reality,” citing—among other issues—his opposition to raising the minimum wage.

 

After a debate moderator pointed out that while most states offer 26 weeks of unemployment insurance payments, Georgians who file unemployment claims receive only 15 weeks of payments, the Republican incumbent responded that “extended unemployment benefits may have actually negatively impacted a lot of people’s progress toward going back to work.”

 

Robbin Shipp refused to allow Butler to shift blame to unemployed workers, saying “A lot of Georgians would be offended by the labor commissioner’s characterization of them as holdouts for the privilege of receiving on average $268 a week.”

 

Butler also misfired with an accusation that Shipp was wrong in stating that the minimum wage in Georgia is $5.15. “You know that is not true,” said Butler.

 

Shipp countered, suggesting Butler “go to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to see for yourself that Georgia’s minimum wage is in fact $5.15 an hour.”

 

“Had you had the experience that I’ve had traveling all over the state…I’ve met people who make $5.15 an hour,” said Shipp.

 

The United States Department of Labor lists Georgia’s minimum wage rate as $5.15. Robbin Shipp has stated her support for raising the minimum wage throughout her campaign.

 

In her closing statements, Shipp said “I am running to implement policies to raise the minimum wage, implement policies for pay equity for women, to restore to the citizens of the state of Georgia its labor department—one that works for them, not against them.”

 

 

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BACKGROUND

 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

U.S. Department of Labor