Sun
May 21 2006
07:07 am
Minimum wage perspectives
By: R. Neal

The Perspectives section of today's Knoxville News Sentinel has point and counter-point guest columns on raising the state minimum wage.

That guy advocating an increased minimum wage makes a good argument and sounds like he knows what he's talking about. (Wasn't that other guy in KISS?)

Topics:
R. Neal's picture

Gee, not one "attaboy"? And

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 5:21pm.

Gee, not one "attaboy"? And it was on the front page of the editorial section, with my photo and everything. And they gave me twice as many column inches as the other guy. Oh, well. Hope my Mom noticed.

S Carpenter's picture

First off

Submitted by S Carpenter on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 6:43pm.

 

How do you drink your Famous Grouse? You obviously had the better argument, you had took the space!

Seeya Wednesday, we hope.
SC
 

Me.... Lil' P Brain's picture

"Attaboy"

Submitted by Me.... Lil' P Brain (not verified) on Mon, 2006/05/22 - 5:36pm.

Oh, you garnered cudo "Attaboy's"....your Mom noticed big time and is coveting the newspaper with an iron fist. 

Justin's picture

Attaboy!

Submitted by Justin on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 5:34pm.

A belated Attaboy! Nice job/editorial R.

Bean's picture

That Randy guy knows his

Submitted by Bean (not verified) on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 5:38pm.

That Randy guy knows his stuff!

Seriously, I'm glad to see you out of the closet and getting some well-earned respect. Scary how much I agree with you.

R. Neal's picture

Thanks, y'all. I sent that

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 6:10pm.

Thanks, y'all. I sent that in over two months ago. I guess with minimum wage (hopefully) coming up for a vote this week it became timely. They let me update it, fortunately.

Bill Pittman's picture

Minimum Wage Perspectives

Submitted by Bill Pittman on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 7:17pm.

Great article Randy; it is comical that our elected representatives will vote themselves a  cost of living wage but turn their backs on the neediest in our society. I particlarly enjoyed the other guy's assertion that the free market should set the minimum wage but in some odd, circular logic, he suggests "compression" (upward pressure I assume) will cause those making above minimum to demand more---which of course has nothing to do with supply & demand. Greg Johnson's recent KNS article mentioned how few Tennesseans actually make minimum wage...isn't that the point? Shouldn't we help those people who struggle the most?

Thanks,

Bill Pittman

R. Neal's picture

Thanks, Bill. I also notice

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 7:23pm.

Thanks, Bill. I also notice he conveniently forgot to mention that Republicans included an amendment exempting certain college students after lobbying by Regal, and how they took out all the regulatory enforcement, leaving it up to underpaid workers to sue for back wages.

S Carpenter's picture

 He's on the ropes. A

Submitted by S Carpenter on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 7:46pm.

 

He's on the ropes. A letter to the editor would put him on the mat.

 Did you read his when they let you update yours?

R. Neal's picture

Unfortunately, no, or I

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 7:53pm.

Unfortunately, no, or I would have addressed his "Democratic" exemptions. And the high price of yogurt in Shelby Co. As the Mrs. said, he's not willing to pay a nickel more for an ice cream cone so the guy dipping it can afford gas to get to and from work every day?

Brian A.'s picture

Good column

Submitted by Brian A. on Sun, 2006/05/21 - 11:55pm.

You should have made the post more explicit.  Someone might just click on the first link and assume the second piece was just as bad.  Can someone explain the logic of this to me?

"Most important, it does nothing to assist minimum-wage workers in attaining a truly secure future by advancing their actual earning potential."

Umm, what's the whole point of a minimum wage law?  To provide that a worker's present job provides a minimum level of income?  Or to create an incentive for a worker to get a different job?

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

gttim's picture

Photo?

Submitted by gttim on Mon, 2006/05/22 - 9:43am.

They didn't have your photo online. Surely they didn't run the photo of your hat.

Funny how Republicans can always come up with some BS making it seem like paying people less is a good thing. The free market has never protected the environment or any workers. They free market always exploits. It always has and always will.

Stacey Diamond's picture

minimum wage

Submitted by Stacey Diamond (not verified) on Mon, 2006/05/22 - 4:38pm.

Great comments and nice to see what you look like! Stacey

Stan G's picture

Are Our Borders At Risk?

Submitted by Stan G (not verified) on Mon, 2006/05/22 - 9:19pm.

 

While driving along University Ave in Huntsville, AL yesterday, I noted the local McDonald's is advertising a starting wage of $6.50 per hour.  In the final analysis, the market determines the minimum wage.  Employers who pay minimum wage can expect less than minimum productivity; which, in the end, is costing them more in either additional wages or lost customer satisfaction.

Factchecker's picture

Attaboy, skb!

Submitted by Factchecker on Tue, 2006/05/23 - 1:17pm.

I just saw the piece last night.  Excellent, just as I would expect from you.  Glad to see you have not been black-balled by the Knox News-Repug.

...he's not willing to pay a nickel more for an ice cream cone so the guy dipping it can afford gas to get to and from work every day?

Look at Starbucks.  In that industry, it's the fastest (or one the fastest?) growing and a Wall Street darling much in the same vein that Microsoft was, and other growth phenoms.  What a perfect model to follow for free market capitalists, like the ones Stanley claims to represent.  The company has not prospered at the expense of their workers.  On the contrary, they are possibly the highest paid in the industry and perhaps the only such workers who receive full benefits.  It pays off in how responsive, capable, and courteous they are.  Why?  They have reason to care and to stay at the job!  It shows, and somehow the company still scrapes by on the bottom line Wink!  One could say it's a part of Total Quality Management, if they really cared to look at the whole picture. 

Jerks like Stanley and 87% of the Repug party don't get it because, as others have pointed out, they never care about those at the other end of the economic ladder.  It's just perpetual trickle-down/voodoo BS.  Saying their position is to benefit the poor is like saying the Bush tax cuts are also to benefit the poor.  Repugs: the party serving the poor, just like the way they responded to their favorite constituents of New Orleans.

Charles (Factchecker, etc.) 

___________________________

Never has the left been so right.

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