Deserve. That's a fun word isn't it. Lends the feeling of entitlement. Like, because I was born, I should have what ever it is that I am wanting. Or when told you don't deserve something. Well, who decides what I deserve or don't deserve. I think I deserve a 1969 black Camaro SS with racing stripes because I would look so awesome in it. And I love it. And I want it. But, do I deserve it?
Yesterday, I read an article on raising the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour. The person who wrote it said that flipping burgers and working in the fast food industry as a cashier, does not make you deserving to make that much money. I have a problem with this. But, let me continue with what he said. The article went on to say that for many teens, this is their first job and they don't deserve to make that much money in a year. And how many professionals with jobs that required training and schooling are able to make that much, and after how many years? A job that is in the fast food business shouldn't be a life time job and you don't deserve to make that much. Ever. Assuming you work 40 hours a week, of course. A job in the fast food industry should only be for a short time, therefore it's a stepping stone and shouldn't be used to be forever. So, if it's only a stepping stone, one shouldn't be allowed to make that much money.
Now, first of all, I have a huge problem with anyone telling me that I don't deserve something. It leads me to think that I'm not good enough to be able to have what ever it is. I did some research on the national minimum wage. Did you know that if we had a wage that kept with the inflation of the dollar as well as the increase of cost of living, the national minimum wage would be just over $21.00 an hour. Wow, that's a lot! It also made me wonder, why is it, companies are so unwilling to give their employees the salary that they deserve? I mean, not everyone who works flipping burgers works 40 hours a week. And just to be sure that you understand this, in the state of Arizona, even if you worked 40 hours a week, for the minimum wage, for all four quarters of the year, if you were fired, you wouldn't be able to collect unemployment because you haven't contributed enough to it. Wow, working full time, for less than eight dollars an hour and you still don't make enough. Now, let's say that for sake of argument, you made a salary of $10.00 an hour. And the company you work for only works you for 30 hours a week. Well, that amounts to $300 a week, before taxes. So for two weeks of work, you end up taking home just over $400. In an average sized two bedroom apartment that's in a nice part of town with good schools, rent is on average, $650-$850 a month. And let's face it, if you're working, you earn too much money to be eligible for welfare, so you are making about $800 or so a month. And barely able to make ends meet. Of course you could get another job that will work you another 30 or so hours a week at the same rate of pay and then, sure you would be making more than enough to support yourself. But, what time do you have to spend with the people you're trying to support? What about helping your kids with their homework, is there time for that? Or are you paying a babysitter to watch your kids so you can pay to live.
This example is all to familiar for me. I live in a small town where there are a lot of families struggling to make it. They work two jobs, they are doing everything they can, and yet, there isn't enough to pay for the food they eat. There are a lot of places that pay only minimum wage, and to say that flipping burgers is the only job that pays the minimum wage, is just plain silly. There are plenty of places that pay that, because that is what they can afford. And I see that there are a lot of mom and pop places that can't pay $15.00 and hour. But, on the other side of it, there are plenty of places that can afford to, and choose to pay them only a minimum to make a bigger profit. This is something that is outrageous to me. I am a small business owner, and I bust my ass on a daily basis, as a licensed, trained, must maintain my insurance and license to keep working and make a small salary.
So, I ask you, when you tell someone who is a teenager in their first job that they don't deserve to make that much money, what are basing your opinion on? Do you deserve to make more than that because you put in time and energy to a different job? Who is to say what someone deserves? I deserve to not have to ask the government for help to put food on our table. I deserve to be able to afford affordable healthcare. I deserve to be paid well for the service I provide. If you're not working, you're not helping, but if you are working, what do you deserve? Do you think that you deserve to put food on the table and be able to afford a place to live with electricity? Do you deserve to have a vehicle that runs and has fuel in it to get you to your job? Or do you deserve a bike because you only flip burgers or are a cashier somewhere? Points to ponder for the morning...
I think that those who make $15.00 an hour are doing well for now. But, they had to work to get there, and yes, things take time. But, to pay your people a decent wage, to be able to afford to live in their community, perhaps we shouldn't be saying that fast food workers don't deserve to make that much. Perhaps we should be saying that everyone deserves to be able to put food on their tables. We live in one of the richest countries in the world, and yet, there are more houses for sale then there are homeless people. There are more homeless vets then there ever should be. We as a country should stop saying that someone doesn't deserve something and we need to look at the way we as a nation treat these people who are trying to get out of poverty. It's not easy living so far below the poverty line that you go without. And really, it shouldn't happen. But, it does and it will continue to happen because we live in a world of greed. I am greedy, you're greedy, we all have some kind of greed going on with us. We are entitled to so many things.. or so we think. I can't change others opinions of things, and that's ok, I'm not trying to get you to always change your mind, I just want you to be open to the possibility that maybe we are looking at this in the wrong way. Maybe we should try stepping back and seeing the bigger picture. Not everyone who is asking for a raise works in fast food, and not everyone gets to work full time. How much time should I have to put in to any job to be able to afford a place to live, food to eat, power in the house, a mode of transportation, and affordable healthcare? How much time do I have give up with the ones that I am trying to support to be able to give them the basic necessities of life? How can I give them the most important ones when I am constantly working to provide food? I don't deserve to have to give up all of one, to be able to give them the other.
But, that's just my opinion on it...
Post Script: Afternoon, 4/20/15: As a point of reference on this topic, this morning, after publishing this thought, I was told that I don't deserve to be paid fairly for the job I do because of what might happen 4 months for now, so why change it? Seems like everyone is a bit skwed on this topic. What do you deserve? I know that I deserve a lot, and I deserve a lot more, but, I have also worked my ass off for it! And now, I am going to be grateful for a job that I have, clients that I love and friends who are amazing... I am grateful for those things.. That's for sure.
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