13 barks and woofs on “Question of the Day”

1. Busboy at Denny’s.

2. Not minimum, but close. Fortunately, I was just out of high school and could still live with my middle-class parents, so I wasn’t really put in a bad spot.

3. I slung burgers for a couple summers. Minimum wage AND part-time.

4. Yep, several. But living with the ‘rents, so it’s not really fair to compare to those trying to live on it.

5. You bet. I used my thumb to leave home. I had about $100 in my pocket.

6. My first job that wasn’t working for my father was as a busboy in a Mexican restaurant — but it was a Mexican restaurant of the South, which meant that you’d get a burrito with a side of mashed taters and green beans, maybe collard greens. Corn bread.

   After that, I had a great job as an usher in a movie theater. Loved that job.

   More recently, I served as a little bit different kind of usher (no free popcorn) for the Arkansas Legislature after the 2002 election didn’t work out for any of my candidates. I got to wear a hand-me-down, worn red blazer — they called us Red Coats — and sit in the State House balcony all day watching the Arkansas Legislature be about as crazy as you’d think they’d be. Highlights included the paycheck (minimum wage, yes), and the excellent cafeteria in the State Capitol.

7. I worked at Frisch’s in the kitchen, ran the diswasher and did some cooking for $.80 and hour in 1966.

8. Yep. Parenting four kids. No social security deductions or health care insurance for that either.

9. Sure I did–when I was going to college, to pay my tuition while I lived with my parents.
   I don’t think minimum wage was EVER supposed to support families–it was set up so employers didn’t take advantage of teenagers.

   • I’m sorry, but that’s not correct.

     The minimum wage was established, along with the modern day welfare programs, as part of LBJ’s Great Society programs. It was intended to prevent employers from paying poverty wages and letting the welfare program pick up the slack. In essence, it was to move the burden of support for the working poor to their employers and off the back of government.

     It was, at the time, pushed for and widely supported by conservatives, because it would reduce dependency on government, and encourage people to work. To, as they are fond of pronouncing even today, “teach the work ethic”.

     It was always intended to be a “floor wage” for all Americans.

10. Certainly have.

11. Hell, I worked for LESS then minimum in the kitchen of a Catholic hospital. I was a “part time” employee working for a non profit, and in those days (late 1960′s) that meant they didn’t even have to pay minimum wage, and didn’t have to pay overtime. My first week I worked 58 hours at my “part time” job. To add to the joy, that included five days of “split shifts”, six a.m. to twelve thirty, then back at four p.m. to work until eight p.m.

12. Sure did. In the 60′s. Lunch counter in a variety store I think it was ,35/hr. My big increase was when I went to a full time office job and got $62.50 a week to be self supporting, payingrent etc. Not pleasant.

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