"The president's proposed $35 billion increase dwindles substantially when you factor in inflation, critically important pay raises mandated by Congress and owed to our troops, necessary improvements to military health, and other obligations we must meet," Senator Lieberman said.
The postdocs received raises mandated by the pact.
So, last year Russell emerged to promote the ceremony for the re-retirement of his number at the Fleet Center (the first time his No. 6 was raised, he mandated that Boston Garden be empty) and consented to many interviews to help sell tickets.
The governor, noting that 25,000 union members received cost-of-living raises last week while 3,800 of their colleagues were in the process of being laid off, also asked reporters to pose a question to union leaders: "Are you willing to accept anything less than the 15percentt pay raise over the next three years?" The raises are mandated by the unions' contracts with the state.
Democrats in Congress have put forward proposals in the House and the Senate to raise the federally mandated minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020.
Clearly it cannot be the UN, which can barely raise half its mandated complement of 8,000 peacekeepers, and spends almost half of its $600m annual budget just flying over Congo's vast, roadless forests.
As many New Yorkers are aware, the state Board of Regents responded to the rallying cry to "raise standards" by mandating that, starting this year, all students must pass a beefed-up English examination before graduating from high school.
Despite the near-certainty that a Congressional conference committee will work out differences between House and Senate versions of the minimum-wage legislation, most likely raising the federally mandated minimum to $6.15 in two annual 50-cent increments, Ms. Martins sees no need to hurry.
California is raising its mandate to 33percentt by 2020, though its utilities have already indicated that the existing quota — 20percentt by 2010 — will be difficult to meet.
"The wrong way is to raise taxes, duplicate mandates, or demand sudden and drastic emissions cuts that have no chance of being realized and every chance of hurting our economy," he said.
