I am baffled. To me this sounds like Chao gutted what the Rethugs spent substantial political capital enacting. What percentage of Americans make $100,000 plus that weren't exempt from overtime rules anyway? I know of some longshoremen and high crane operators that make this kind of money, but only by collecting huge amounts of overtime anyway. There are 2080 hours in a 40 hr week/52 week year. $100,000 represents $48/hour. Who outside Law, Medicine and Finance has $50/hour as base pay? I must be in the wrong racket.

They [Republican administrations since at least Reagan]could see that this particular change wouldn't play well with the public.

They probably see now that if they want to make a change like this (getting rid of overtime pay and making more people salaried i.e. 'exempt'*), they have to do it much more slowly and gradually so people would think that it sounds fair.

I think their objective is to eventually change the standard to a work week that is more than 40 hours, more like 50 hours a week.

But these things must be done delicately.

*exempt is a code word for getting paid a fixed amount for as many hours as employers require.

They [Republican administrations since at least Reagan]could see that this particular change wouldn't play well with the public.

They probably see now that if they want to make a change like this (getting rid of overtime pay and making more people salaried i.e. 'exempt'*), they have to do it much more slowly and gradually so people would think that it sounds fair.

I think their objective is to eventually change the standard to a work week that is more than 40 hours, more like 50 hours a week.

But these things must be done delicately.

*exempt is a code word for getting paid a fixed amount for as many hours as employers require.

1. Timely
   
2. Strategery
   
3. Webb wins
   
4. Huh?
   
5. Bunnypants in Bagdad
   
6. Outage
   
7. Filthy Lucre Watch
   
8. Playing the numbers
   
9. My letter to Countdown
   
10. Jefferson's Nigerian Scams