Today we listen to the latest episode of WEDU’s Florida this week, moderated by Radioactivity Host Rob Lorei. The topic of discussion centers around medicaid expansion, particularly Rick Scott’s refusal to accept money tied to the ACA while asking the Obama administration to expand low-income pool funding within the state. the budget chiefs of the house and senate met recently and have said they made “a fair amount of progress”, but the governor has warned state agencies to prepare for a possible government shutdown.
Panelists include:Editor/Publisher of La Gaceta Patrick Manteiga, Political Consultant and Bay News Nine Commentator Chris Ingram,Tampa Bay Times Politics and Business Deputy Managing Editor Amy Hollyfield, and Professor Emeritus of Government at USF-St. Petersburg Dr. Darryl Paulson.
Then we talk about wage theft in the Bay Area. Many workers are not payed their earned wages or are payed below the minimum wage, but are afraid to speak out in fear of losing their jobs. According to research by Bruce Nissen of FIU Research for Social & Economic Policy, thousands of wage theft complaints have been filed aganist hundreds of employers in Hillsborough County alone. This week at the Hillsborough County Commission will be drafting an ordinance to address problem. The meeting will take place at the County Center in Tampa this Wednesday at 9 am. Joining us to discuss wage theft is Nissen, along with Jeanette Smith of Interfaith Worker Justice of South Florida and Cheryl Shroeder of Cheryl Schroeder the West Central Florida Federation of Labor.
