Parish
Facts According to Swanson
RECEIVED Mon., July 31, 2006
Dear Editor,
In his latest rant contained in “The Hightower Report” [July 14], wee Jim claimed, and I quote, "There are 7.3 million Americans working for minimum wage. Another 8.2 million of us are paid only a dollar or less above the minimum." Point one, "Us" Jim? You get minimum wage? You're overpaid. But the fact is he lied, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2004.htm, Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004: “According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2004, some 73.9 million American workers were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.8% of all wage and salary workers. 1) Of those paid by the hour, 520,000 were reported as earning exactly $5.15, the prevailing federal minimum wage, and another 1.5 million were reported earning wages below the minimum. 2) Together, these 2.0 million workers with wages at or below the minimum made up 2.7% of all hourly-paid workers."
Five hundred twenty thousand compared to Hightower's deliberate lie of 7.3 million. A few years ago, Hightower claimed that President Bush had spent, in one year, more than $7 trillion. What he didn't mention was it was “projected revenues,” not money in the bank, and that year, the federal budget was $2 trillion. But hey, Hightower and facts are like oil and water.
In his latest rant contained in “The Hightower Report” [July 14], wee Jim claimed, and I quote, "There are 7.3 million Americans working for minimum wage. Another 8.2 million of us are paid only a dollar or less above the minimum." Point one, "Us" Jim? You get minimum wage? You're overpaid. But the fact is he lied, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2004.htm, Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004: “According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2004, some 73.9 million American workers were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.8% of all wage and salary workers. 1) Of those paid by the hour, 520,000 were reported as earning exactly $5.15, the prevailing federal minimum wage, and another 1.5 million were reported earning wages below the minimum. 2) Together, these 2.0 million workers with wages at or below the minimum made up 2.7% of all hourly-paid workers."
Five hundred twenty thousand compared to Hightower's deliberate lie of 7.3 million. A few years ago, Hightower claimed that President Bush had spent, in one year, more than $7 trillion. What he didn't mention was it was “projected revenues,” not money in the bank, and that year, the federal budget was $2 trillion. But hey, Hightower and facts are like oil and water.
Carl Swanson
[Jim Hightower responds: Gosh, to be called “wee” by such a giant intellect as Carl – is it an insult ... or honor? But, yes Carl, I use the term “us” because I believe in the great American ethic of “we’re all in this together.” Just because I make more than minimum wage doesn’t mean that I disassociate myself from the plight of those who do. America is “us” – though maybe Carl doesn’t care to be included. By the way, 82% of Americans say raising the minimum wage is an important priority, and only 6% oppose raising it.]
