Comments From the Peanut Gallery
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
The $23,000 Executive
Our government is at it again! Now they want to change the overtime pay laws. I won't go into major detail about the whole mess, if you want to read that, check out www.cnn.com. I just want to comment on what this whole mess means.
If our government gets its way, then anyone making just over $22,000 could be considered executives, and therefore not eligible for overtime pay. $22,000 is below poverty level in most states. Which means that when you are paying for your food with food stamps, you can take pride in that you are en executive receiving food stamps. Yes, that should make you feel better.
Yep, the guy who asks if you want fries with you burger, could now be an executive. The lady that checks you out at the grocery store -- yes, she too would be an executive. Your dry cleaner clerk, waitress at your favorite restaurant, and the customer service rep at the phone company -- all executives.
There's going to be a whole group of executives that get Earned Income Credit, WIC, and medicaid. Take away overtime pay from people who make $22,000 and you are going to create some pretty poor executives. Executives driving 1991 Escorts. Executives who can't afford to play golf at the country club or take vacations. Executives that when they are charged with "white collar crimes" will have to go to regular jail. Of course, since an exeutive will only make $22,000 a year, then their crimes will more than likely be "blue collar crimes", such as shoplifting diapers, formula and other things that they can no longer afford to purchase because their overtime is gone. What's the point in being an executive if you can't afford a house payment in even the worst of neighborhoods?
I wanna be an executive. Okay, technically, I am since I own my own business. I'm the CEO over myself, and my husband when he chooses to cooperate. But now I would be a double executive if you count my other job. Wow..an executive twice over. It's enough to give a gal goosebumps...if she can afford to have them.
