Rubber industry watches minimum wage/tax break legislation

WASHINGTON (March 13)—Representatives of the rubber industry have mixed feelings about the minimum wage/small business tax cut bills passed by the House and Senate. "There are parts of these bills that will help our members, and parts which will hurt them," said Ross Kogel, interim executive vice president of the Tire Association of North America, which likes the tax breaks but opposes the wage increase. Ann Wilson, vice president of government affairs for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, was noncommittal. The Clinton White House has threatened a veto, but said it has had signals that congressional Republicans are willing to compromise.