by David Schneider

Created on: February 16, 2009

The way we do things in this country is somewhat backwards. I am a proud American, however sometimes I am baffled at the way we treat our own. We as a society have decided through all of our infinite wisdom that because we may have to reward a person for doing a great job, that our government which we pay taxes to and by the way those people in the service industry also pay taxes, that they shouldn't receive a federally mandated minimum wage. This is ludicrous thinking. Has anyone noticed that the economy is not that great, and with this usually comes less people going out to dinner, less people traveling, more people trying to get away from spending as much as possible. With this thought in mind, were now going to take some poor soul in the service industry, probably breaking their back to make sure that whatever experience you may be trying to enjoy is going to go well and we are going to punish them for that by not even allowing them to receive minimally what every other working joe' will receive.

Yes, I believe that not only should these people receive the federally mandated minimum wage, they should also receive a federal standardized minimal tip system should be in place. For example those people working in the restaurant industry, minimally tips should start at 18% of the final bill. This would insure that the service industry worker is receiving their minimal just due. Even if you receive poor service, not tipping at all is not justified. Another more digestible theory to the American public may be to have a set range for the tipping system; the range may start at 12% and climb upwards with a cap of 45%, either way the minimum pay for the service worker should remain in place. Why the American public should be forced to subsidize these workers because their employers don't want to and are trying to save a buck.

We are living in difficult times; we must protect our own people. President Obama is seeking to create jobs by building new roads, bridges and schools; this is an honorable goal; however those that are in the service industry and other industries should be protected from being abused by their employers. This is a great country with great resolve; we have been in worst times and will survive this era also to move forward as the great nation that we are, let's bring all of our people with us as we move into our next era no one should be left behind.

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