George:

I find the idea of a livable wage laudable. What may not be realized by most of your readers is that, currently in this community, almost any employee --regardless of education or skills-- that stays with the same employer for 6 to 12 months, shows up regularly and on time, earns the proposed $8.00 per hour already. It is mostly only those that believe that a job is a matter of convenience --you just show up when it is convenient-- and take regular vacations by quitting their job after a couple months, that get paid less. This is not pretty, but
unfortunately, it is the reality.

People that employ young and unskilled workers face this situation regularly and always wind up wondering if they may already be paying too much, since this type of employee appears to have enough income to be able to afford loosing wages on a regular basis.

I am afraid that this is another case of good intentions going awry, that will get us all nowhere in the long run. Including as a political party. I like to remind everybody that two adults working full-time, even at the current minimum wage, earn $21,400 a year plus some Earned Income Tax Credit payments that equal or exceed any income taxes. That is a modest income, but it is above the poverty level for a family of four.

Perversely, the two earner families that make $8.00 per hour, $33,200 a year and no EIT Credits and pay about 15 to 20% in income taxes, that many times resent the policies that favor single motherhood and government assistance the most. They are much closer to 'the poor,' many of them actually live in the sameneighborhoods. And, they realize the contempt that some people have towards those that work regularly and try to get ahead. We are lucky that most of them don't vote. I am afraid that, were they to vote, they could wind up voting for the other party.

As a party, we should look to means of rooting out poverty by finding ways to educate young people in the development of good working habits and a life time interest in developing skills. That would not only really raise their self-esteem, income and advancement, it would make this a truly 'Great Society.'

Henry Weinschenk (electronic mail, April 22, 2000)