Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Equality -- or Freedom?

"On average, Asians earn more than Hispanics; blacks less than whites. Mormons earn more than Muslims; Jews more than Jehovah's Witnesses. And Polish Americans earn more than Puerto Ricans.

Does that prove America is a racist and religiously bigoted country?"

One time I asked my boss, Jay Ladd, why a male librarian hired after me, younger, was earning more. His answer stunned me. "Because he asked for more." When I had children, I left the work force. When he had children, his wife left the work force. But there are lots of reasons women's salaries differ. They take fewer risks; move less; turn down more difficult assignments; don't want to do the out of town trips and work; and there are no "good old girl" networks that even come close to the "good old boys." We tend to stab each other in the back rather than let another woman get ahead.

This article is on the new Paycheck Fairness Act passed by the House 256 to 162.

Equality -- or Freedom? - Pat Buchanan - Townhall Conservative

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another full employment for lawyers law?

Anonymous said...

Murray sez:
At last someone has put down on paper some of the main reasons ladies have lagged behind gentlemen in the overall work force. That's not to say prejudice or discrimination doesn't exist in the work place but it's certainly has been blown out of proportion.

Norma said...

It's not blatant like it was in the 1960s when you were told to your face it was because you were female. Unfortunately no one does studies on why some groups of men make more money than others--like youth, height, weight, accent, regionalisms, personality, or familial relationships.