Sitting in for Neil Cavuto on “Your World” Thursday, host Eric Bolling got in a heated exchange with Marion Barry, former Washington, D.C. mayor and now a city councilman, even declaring that the controversial veteran Democrat deserves to get tossed out of office.
Barry, of course, supports requiring large retail companies, such as Wal-Mart (with more than $1 billion in annual revenues and indoor retail premises of 75,000 square feet or more) to shell out a 50% higher minimum wage—from $8.25 to $12.50 per hour. Wal-Mart has fought the wage hike and now is threatening to stop the building of three new stores in the city and cancel plans for three others over the issue.
Bolling took issue with Barry’s support of the bill, specifically concerning how it helps D.C.’s unemployment rate when it discourages a huge employer like Wal-Mart from laying down roots there. Bolling told Barry:
We’re talking major economic development for the D.C. area that, frankly, needs it, sir. Why would you vote to stop that?
Barry contended that the current minimum wage is barely enough for a D.C. family to survive on, adding that, “What really tipped me over the edge is the fact that Wal-Mart was sticking us up” by threatening to leave the city if its stores were affected by the bill.
Bolling then chided Barry for getting censured and fined today “for some things that, frankly, I would say you probably should be thrown off the city council for. Want to talk about that?” (The Washington Post reported that Barry was censured and fined $13,600 for accepting gifts from contractors.)
Watch the full exchange below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IiaGUA_0-rE
