PERSPECTIVES
The Michigan Daily
Friday, May 27, 1988
Page 7
"Col." Tackett writes a self defense:
Raise the minimum wage
BY KEN FLETCHER omy. The money would be used to economy and are hardly at risk o
. pay off debt, bid up prices for going under by providing a decen
Currently there is great debate stock, gold or real estate, or be working wage. Companies in sei
going on throughout the nation on spent overseas. vice-oriented business emplo
whether or not the minimum wage The political rhetoric about new nearly three quarters of all mini
needs to be increased. The bill that jobs in the Reagan era has blurred mum wage workers, and have mad
the House of Representatives is the reality of where those jobs are. record profits over the past te
currently debating, HR. 1834, Forty-four percent of all new jobs years.
would raise the minimum wage to created between 1979 and 1985 paid A fair minimum wage is an issu
$5.05 an hour by 1992. This bill is less than $7000 per year. Moreover, of self-worth for individuals an
needed to restore a decent and fair between 1979 and 1984, while em- self-respect for a nation that doesn
standard of living for over five mil- ployment rose by 8 million, jobs want to exploit anyone for the th
lion minimum wage earners across paying greater than $14,000 per benefit of others. America must no
the United States p . year dropped by 2 million. The re- allow the economic exploitation
The original purpose of mini- covery has not been even, and we its weakest workers. It must main
mum wage legislation was to as- need to shore up this growth with tain a fair minimum wage. It is th
sure low wage workers a fair and the underpinnings of a livable min- right thing to do.
decent standard of living. Yet, to- imum wage.
day, if you work 40 hours a week at Companies who employ mini- Ken Fletcher is director of Michi
the minimum wage, you earn less mum wage workers are the fastest gan Frontlash, the youth wing o
than $7000 per year. That is 27 growing segment in the American the AFL-CIO.
percent below the poverty level for
a family of three, and 40 percent
below the poverty level for a family
of four. Re
The minimum wage was first set
lat 250 an hour in 1938 and it has rested. Apparently, for Baker, the
been increased six times since then. BY AMY HARMON code is not enough.
Each time, opponents have declared The evening before graduation,
that thousands of jobs would be If nothing else, Regent Deane April 29, Kirkpatrick was schedulec
lost, inflation would skyrocket and Baker is consistent, and at the to participate in a political science
businesses will go bankrupt. Those University's Board of Regents symposium. Students and members
prophecies have never come true. A meeting last Friday he responded to of the Latin American Solidarity
bipartisan Minimum Wage Study the student protest of Jeane Kirk- Committee expressed their discon
Commission reported to Congress patrick in true form. tent with her foreign policy recorc
in 1981 that past hikes in the min- Displaying the fascist tendencies through verbal disruptions. Declin-
imum wage have had no adverse for which he is infamous, Baker ing to confront the protesters, sh
impact on adult employment, youth said he wants students who engage left without speaking.
unemployment, inflation, or the in protests that "exceed the normal During the graduation cere-
viability of businesses. In 1966, bounds of acceptable university be- monies, at which Kirkpatrick re-
the Secretary of Labor reported to havior" to be prosecuted and ar- ceived an honorary degree, LASC
Congress that there was clearly no distributed fliers describing her dis
evidence in his 28 years of experi- regard for human rights and suppor
ence, of unemployment resulting for state terrorism. Other student
from statutory minimum wage rate protested by spray-painting anti.
increases. Kirkpatrick slogans and obscenitie:
In 1977, the Chamber of Com- on the University Stadium walls.
merce claimed that 391,000 teenage Baker deemed the behavior i
jobs would be lost if the minimum both incidents unacceptable and de
wage was raised. But in 1978, when scribed it as a "direct assault o
the first phase of the most recent academic freedom" because he fel
hike went into effect, teen em- Kirkpatrick was not allowed to ex
ployment actually increased. From press her views. However, when the
1978-1981, the last four years of regents invite a public official whi
minimum wage increases, youth espouses an ideology of interna
unemployment rates averaged nearly tional terrorism to speak on cam
3 percent less than in 1982-1986, pus, they effectively assault the
years with no increase. academic integrity of the Univer
An increase in the minimum sity.
wage is one of the more healthy The public policies endorsed b'
ways of stimulating the slow Regent Deane Baker: Kirkpatrick and past speakers sucl
growth of our economy. An in- e . B as Vice President Bush and Attor
crease in income to poor people is against student rights ney General Meese demonstrate lit
spent, and spent quickly. They carry tle respect for the rights, human o
little money around, make few ATTENTION: academic, of people who are not i
overseas trips, have little savings the powerful minority.
and few banks offer them credit that dTe Daily opinion page staff is Kirkpatrick's support for the
has to be paid off - in short, they actively seeking minorities and government in El Salvador, which
spend every cent of what they earn women interested in writing arrests and kills the students of it
land most of it in the local econ- and discussing editorials. Staff universities on a regular basis car
omy. On the other hand, income requirements consist of one hardly be considered support fo
increases for the wealthy are not so meeting, one editorial, and "academic freedom." By inviting
likely to be used in ways that are of production work once per such speakers, the University taint
immediate help to the local econ- teek. Call 764-0552. its own image which Baker envi
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BY CHARLES TACKETT
I feel at this time it's time that I
defended myself and my issues,
which now face the nation and the
world. I want it made clear that I did
not intend to attack the Viet Nam
Veterans of America but now that
the just importance of the Holiday
is under attack I must speak out.
First of all, I didn't run and cry
like a wimp and feel forced to create
my own group to vent my
frustrations. I felt it to be vital to
vork towards the goal of making it
clear to the V.F.W., American
Legion, and the D.A.V. that, yes, I
do belong and they have no choice
of my exceptance.
We now need to take a look at
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sions as "a place of autonomy, ci-
vility and scholarly pursuits."
By proposing to limit the ac-
cepted bounds of protest, Baker is
stifling the free speech that he al-
legedly wants to enhance. If he
wants to quell "unacceptable con-
duct" by protesters, he should en-
courage his peers to exercise more
discretion in choosing speakers.
Students should have more input
in the selection process of ceremo-
nial speakers. When the regents se-
lect illegitimate speakers, the re-
sponsibility of students to protest
becomes vital. Compliance is ac-
ceptance, and students' rights to re-
sist must be ensured.
By proposing to arrest and prose-
cute the students who assume this
responsibility, Baker threatens the
very rights he says he wants to
protect under the auspices of assur-
ing the "peaceful functioning of
university scholarly and other
activities." This proposal would ef-
fectively limit the expression of
ideas on campus to those he ap-
proves.
It is frightening to think that un-
der this "comprehensive plan," stu-
dents would be subjected to Baker's
definition of "acceptable behavior."
According to Baker, the circulation
of fliers critical of someone he
supports is unacceptable. And
"certainly attacks on regents, ad-
ministrators and visitors are unac-
ceptable conduct," he said.
Who knows what else might
strike Regent Baker as exceeding
the "normal bounds" of behavior, or
what measures he may believe are
necessary to maintain "order and
academic freedom on campus?"
Amy Harmon is a Daily Opinion
page staffer.
ogia
the last fifteen years and see what
all of the National Veterans groups
have done to our rights and
benefits. They have been so divided
that a lot more has been taken away
than gained. I sternly do believe
that when these groups condemn
me they shouldn't, and according to
their track record, they don't even
have the right. I will say now in
my own behalf that I have stood for
the Truth a lot longer alone than
they have as a group.
I will now take a look at Special
Interest for a moment. Just the
word goes against our own
Constitution as it states we are all
equal in the eyes of others. I don't
blame even our leaders for the loss
of rights and benefit erosion for if
the Veterans Groups don't reunite
all and a lot more will bite the dust
and be no more. Everyone seems to
want these things to happen but no
one wants to do the work to get it
done.-The inward selfish little mind
always says, "what's in it for me,"
or "how much do I get." Their own
greed has got us in the shape we're
in today.
In conclusion in the works that I
do I very carefully place formulas
that serve the very purposes of all
of America and with absolutely no
policies that somewhere up the road
will stand in the way or hurt others.
I am the first to agree that certain
Special Interests should be
protected, such as the homeless, the
hungry, and the sick, but as far as
others all of them should be of
equal ground. If ever there has been
a time when America should be in
one accord it needs to be now, when
people in a rich land start to suffer
and our inward and so selfish Minds
start to thinking we must cure it by
getting rid of some people and thus
comes War. The National Viet Nam
Holiday will be best used by all and
not just some if given a chance to
grow and prosper. If we don't start
learning how to better our world for
all, all of us will be the losers and
no one will have anything. Learn to
share, care, and to gain back the
love we profess to have.
All that I'm saying is if you do
anything for the public place, in
that works a formula that will help
all and not just some. I can prove
that my work helps all. Can they
say the same? I say this without
stuttering or stammering; if you
feel that it's too weak go on with
your Macho selves. I love everyone
out there and that's the bottom line.
May God Bless and keep you all
safe and secure. I rest my case.
Charles Tackett is a Viet Nam
veteran activist.