Paul Gaston wrote: Do any council candidates favor prohibiting city events and the housing of city guests at restaurants and hotels that do not pay a living wage? If not, how do you propose to lead private enterprises to pay a living wage? (electronic mail, February 16, 2002)

Paul,

I would sooner start with a policy change of preference rather than a flat-out prohibition of patronizing non-living-wage-paying businesses, one that shows preference to restaurants and hotels that pay a living wage. Not only would this keep the Chamber of Commerce happy (Chamber president Timothy Hulbert has repeatedly stated that he doesn't believe that government has any role at all in assigning so much as a minimum wage), but it would prevent awkward situations such as not being able to get a room in any hotel that pays a living wage.

It is likely that we could accomplish the same goal through simply giving preference to establishments that provide a living wage. (While we're at it, let's also show preference for locally-owned restaurants and hotels, so that the money stays in town.) Should that prove infeasible or unsuccessful, though, then an all-out ban would be just fine by me. In the business world, we call this eating your own dog food: let's chow down.

Best,

Waldo Jaquith (electronic mail, February 18, 2002)