Antone's Nightclub
Pay for What You Get
RECEIVED Sun., Jan. 6, 2008
Dear Editor,
As a college graduate, I am blessed. Many people are not enjoying the benefits that I enjoy having that privilege. Having said that, there is one nagging truth that I see around the economic scene in Austin. While everyone seems to want a college graduate (specifically with a bachelor's degree) to work in his or her office, no one wants to pay for it.
"What do you mean by that?" Simply this: If you know that someone graduated from college, you know that someone has debt. College isn't cheap (no, not even state school), and someone who is still paying for college is going to have college loans to pay, in addition to the increased cost of living. I'm not even getting into the fact that employers sometimes do credit checks, which I think should be illegal since they discriminate against the elderly (who might have debt because of medical expenses), minorities, young people (who usually don't have significant financial assets), and poor people.
Employers, use what you know about your employees to choose the salaries you choose: 1) Most people have cars and have to pay for the maintenance of them. 2) Austin is more expensive, and gone are the days when everyone could find loads of cheap living everywhere. Last but certainly not least: 3) If you have a former college student (recent or not), acknowledge that it costs something to graduate, and pay your staff accordingly.
As a college graduate, I am blessed. Many people are not enjoying the benefits that I enjoy having that privilege. Having said that, there is one nagging truth that I see around the economic scene in Austin. While everyone seems to want a college graduate (specifically with a bachelor's degree) to work in his or her office, no one wants to pay for it.
"What do you mean by that?" Simply this: If you know that someone graduated from college, you know that someone has debt. College isn't cheap (no, not even state school), and someone who is still paying for college is going to have college loans to pay, in addition to the increased cost of living. I'm not even getting into the fact that employers sometimes do credit checks, which I think should be illegal since they discriminate against the elderly (who might have debt because of medical expenses), minorities, young people (who usually don't have significant financial assets), and poor people.
Employers, use what you know about your employees to choose the salaries you choose: 1) Most people have cars and have to pay for the maintenance of them. 2) Austin is more expensive, and gone are the days when everyone could find loads of cheap living everywhere. Last but certainly not least: 3) If you have a former college student (recent or not), acknowledge that it costs something to graduate, and pay your staff accordingly.
Stephanie Webb