Minimum wage workers are screwed. While Republicans in Congress want to drop or throw away the federal minimum wage – new data shows that the minimum wage in America is woefully inadequate. The current minimum wage is pegged at $7.25 – but given the price increase of pretty much everything over the last few decades – from healthcare to housing to education – that $7.25 doesn’t get you very far.

In fact – today’s minimum wage needs to be nearly ten dollars to have the same buying power as it had in 1968. The Center for Economic and Policy Research found that somebody earning the minimum wage would wipe out an entire year's income JUST to pay for a family health insurance plan. During the heyday of the middle class – from the 1940’s to the 1970’s – one good union job could support a family of four and provide all the basic essentials.

That doesn’t exist anymore – and now we’re a nation made up of the working poor who are collecting wages that give them no chance of chasing down the American Dream. Economies grow when working people have money in their pockets – not when the super-rich are given trillions of dollars in tax cuts and are expected to trickle that money down to the rest of us. It’s time to put in place a real living wage that a family can actually live on.

-Thom

(What do you consider to be a living wage? Tell us here.)

"Why hasn't George Zimmermann been arrested?"

Hour Two: Drug test America's biggest welfare queens...banksters & oil barons
- Jamie Weinstein, The Daily Caller

Hour Three: Did the Klan murder MLK?
- Stuart Wexler, investigative researcher / co-author (w/Larry Hancock)-The Awful Grace of God

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!! (OCCUPY SOMETHING!!!!!)

Tuesday's Daily Stack

Quote: "Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people." -- Harry Emerson Fosdick.

Article: "Obama accuses Republicans of 'social Darwinism' over Paul Ryan budget" by Chris McGreal.

Article: "Transcript: Obama's AP luncheon speech", April 3, 2012.

Article: "4-Year Students At For-Profit Colleges Graduate Less Than Half As Often As Other Students, But Their Schools Do Create Jobs — For Lobbyists" by David Halperin.

Quote: "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams".

The Big Picture
- Sam Sacks, The Big Picture producer, progressive commentator

Book: "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand.

Article: "Jailhouse Strip Searches Backed by U.S. Supreme Court Ruling" by Greg Stohr.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Law: "Buy American Act".

Article: "Sherman Antitrust Act".

Article: "Obama, Romney and their 'marvelous' clash" by David Jackson.

Article: "Preamble to the Constitution of the United States".

Article: "Constitution of the United States" Article 1, section 8: ...To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

Movie: "Heist".

Book: "Mandate for Leadership: Principles to Limit Government, Expand Freedom, and Strengthen America" by The Heritage Foundation.

Article: "The Powell Memo or Powell Manifesto".

Hour Two: Is Ryan's budget social Darwinism?
- Peter Ferrara, Carleson Center for Public Policy

Article: "Obama: Paul Ryan's Budget is 'Nothing But Thinly Veiled Social Darwinism'" by Jennifer Bendery.

Article: "Ryan's Budget Is Better Than You Know" by Peter Ferrara.

Article: "Paul Ryan Raises Money Off Of President Barack Obama's Budget Speech " by Michael McAuliff.

Article: "CBO: GOP Budget Would Increase Debt, Then Stick It To Medicare Patients" by Brian Beutler.

Article: "Francis Galton" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Santorum claims ‘seven or eight’ University of California campuses don’t teach American history" by Eric W. Dolan.

Article: "National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform" (Bowles-Simpson/Simpson-Bowles) by Wikipedia.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Article: "Christine Lagarde's speech: in full" by 03 Apr 2012.

Article: "Cheney out of hospital after getting new heart" by AP.

Article: "Panetta Huddles With Japanese Minister Amid North Korean Concerns" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "Readout of Secretary Panetta’s Call with Japanese Defense Minister" by ENEWSPF.

Article: "DOD News Briefing with George Little" by DOD.

Article: "US announces $10 million reward for Pakistani militant figure" by Tom Hussain.

Article: "U.S. Skeptical As Syria Agrees to Deadline for Military Withdrawal" by TRNS.

Article: "Ambassador Susan Rice Takes Questions on Syria".

Article: "Obama authorizes $26M for Sudan refugees" by UPI.

Article: "Paul Ryan: Obama distorting my budget plan" by Seung Min Kim.

Article: "LISTEN: Ryan Plan Makes Contract With America Look Like New Deal, Says Obama" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "It’s On: Obama Sets Election Tone" by Geoff Holtzman.

Book: "Self Empowerment: Nine Things the 19th Century Can Teach us About Living in the 21st " by B. Anne Gehman and Ellen Ratner.

Hour Three: "Rebuild the Dream"
- Van Jones, Rebuild the Dream.com

Book: "Rebuild the Dream" by Van Jones.

Site: "Drinking Liberally".

The good: "Olympia Snowe: Birth Control Debate Is 'Retro' 1950s " by Matt Sledge.

The bad: "Mitt Romney Rips Volt As GM Announces Surging Fuel-Efficient Car Sales" by Adam Peck.

The very, very ugly: "Douglass Academy walkout earns suspensions for about 50 high schoolers" by Chastity Pratt Dawsey.

Case: "Bush v. Gore", 2000.

Site: "Progressive Democrats of America".

Site: "Democracy for America".

Article: "The Federalist Papers".

Article: "Jim Yong Kim announced as Obama's surprise nominee for World Bank head" by Dominic Rushe.

Case: "Marbury v. Madison", 1803.

President fights back
- Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, White House Press Office

Article: "VIDEO: Reagan Called For An End To ‘Crazy’ Tax Loopholes That Let Millionaires Pay Less Than Bus Drivers" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "The Enduring Consequences of Unemployment" by Binyamin Appelbaum.

Article: "CHART: The U.S. Has Made No Progress On College Graduation Rates In 30 Years" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "Oaksterdam University raided as part of DEA criminal investigation" by Elizabeth Flock.

Article: "New e-book claims Rick Perry was under influence of painkillers during debates " by Samantha Wagner.

Free excerpt, read whole book for free at Truthout, buy the book!