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I'm going to probably ignite a bonfire here, so I'll start by saying that I'm not going to subscribe to replies for sake of avoiding getting myself worked into an internet argument... internet arguments rarely solve anything in the first place; even less so when dealing with one's more fundamental beliefs. I'm not going to change anyone else's mind, and I'd wager others won't be able to change mine.

Essentially: I disagree with this Lynda's opinion. First I'll frame this stance by saying that I was raised in PA Dutch Country, which consists of an amusing mixture of generally conservative people that tend to support a number of liberal causes... but focusing on this subject it tends to be a bit more of a conservative take: the PA Dutch culture places a strong emphasis on personal initiative & responsibility.

With that in mind, my take on the restaurant business is that if the practices at that restaurant don't work for you: then don't work there. Of course, any illegal activities should certainly be called out, but so long as everything is operating within the law: employees should know quite well what their income is going to be like.

There's no good & tactful way to say this, but the culture I was brought up in has a mindset that if you choose to drop out of high school, then you choose to accept the consequences. If you choose to not go to college or learn a vocation, you choose to accept the consequences. And if your educational path doesn't pan out, you have the choice to pursue a new one. Several of my coworkers started in other industries, but their economies dried up and they came to their current field.

I admit that my mindset was formed in an area of small towns and small cities; perhaps it doesn't scale into a much larger city such as DC and its suburbs. All my years working such jobs was back in Pennsylvania; not in DC.

And I do come from a rather privledged background, so I can't deny that I may have a sort of "windshield perspective" as applied to this situation... I got college for free so long as I did well, but I had to pay for food, my car, rent (even in high school whiel I was living at home), and any other expenses. Where I grew up is also far from being a privledged area- it's a land full of oft-stereotyped Amish and people driving rusted Mustangs or dilapidated pickup trucks; I worked shoulder to shoulder with them in these jobs right up until college graduation.

If you ever want to try some even more lousy jobs: farm labor is brutal and being a commercial janitor is far from pleasant. While the latter paid more than minimum wage (which in my opinion, still didn't justify some of the gifts people left behind), with the former I only got to share in whatever money was made at the produce stand... on rainy days that wouldn't be much.

With the economy as it is: I can agree that simply changing jobs may not be so simple; nor might reeducation to enter a new industry; nor might there be time or money to pursue even a GED. To that end, where I see people utterly trapped and abused: I certainly have a degree of empathy (social support is another PA Dutch hallmark); but I'd hesitate to use the characteristics of the current recession as justification to pursue long-term policies.

So opposing viewpoint has been offered- rant if you like; but everything above it formed by the culture I spent 20 years growing up within, so while I respect and understand everyone else's opinion, I hope you at least take heed there are other viewpoints out there and it's not necessarily a simple "high road" or "low road" issue.

Cheers!

by Bossi on Nov 10, 2010 11:59 am • link • report