By Mike Hollihan

Democratic legislators held a press conference in Nashville two weeks ago to announce their push for Tennessee to adopt a minimum wage of $6.15 per hour, a dollar more than the current national standard. The Democrats present did not offer any hard figures demonstrating need, or the number of people affected, or the costs to business in Tennessee, but were long on stressing how raising the minimum wage would help “single mothers with families.”

Such a move may have seemed to come out of the blue for the rest of Tennessee, but Memphis has long been dealing with advocates for a similar income “solution”: the living wage. These issues are linked in that Memphis Democratic activists have been pushing for more government intervention on income for some time, and Democrats now see this as a winning issue to run on for the 2006 elections. (more…)

The following article is an excerpt from our March issue. Have you subscribed yet to the leading conservative magazine in West Tennessee? Subscribe online, its safe and easy.

By Nicholas Carraway

For those of you who do not know Nicholas Carraway (I assume everyone does), he has spent the better part of the last twenty years traveling the country in a renovated R.V., working as a freelance reporter for a number of wonderful publications. His recent kick has been one-on-one interviews. Mr. Carraway has agreed to send the Main Street Journal his notes. Since he does not believe in the use of computers, the notes come in a large Federal Express envelope and are usually jumbled. The quotes you find in this article are mostly accurate; however, the questions may be somewhat out of place. This interview with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took place at the Edoya Japanese Restaurant in Washington D.C., just blocks from the White House.

NC: Senator, thank you for taking the time to sit down and talk.

CS: Good morning Sandy.

NC: Sandy is our waiter. Senator, you have become the leading voice of dissent when faced with the judicial nominees of the President. Was your opposition to Judge Roberts and Judge Alito politically motivated?

CS: The Supreme Court justices have enormous power. With a flick of the pen they can change millions of people’s lives. We have to know a lot more than just whether they went to Pittsburgh Law School or Harvard Law School on their resume. We should know their judicial philosophy.

NC: Some though Senator, have accused you of reducing judicial philosophy down to one issue, abortion.

CS: I, for one, believe a judge can be pro-life, yet still be fair and balanced and uphold a woman’s right to choose.

NC: So pro-choice.

CS: Exactly. (more…)