"Modest Pay!!"

My first real job was working at Riverview Park in Chicago. My job was six days a week, with Monday off. When you're 16 years old, Monday off really screws up your social life, as all of your friends usually have week-ends off. I made the kingly sum of $1.22 per hour for a six day week; this comes to $58.56 per week! I had to "know somebody" to get this job; and I was happy to get it. My Dad was proud and happy that I was working during the summer. I believe he wanted me to learn responsibility. I was a new driver, and Dad said if I wanted to drive a car, I needed to pay for insurance; which was $200.00. I did my best to spend as little as possible in order to get my insurance money rapidly. I was required to give my Mom $20.00 from every paycheck; Dad believed nothing in life was free (although he was a pretty soft touch). My job was physically hard; "grunt work", entry level, the kind of a job that would help a young man learn the value of a dollar and an education. I was thankful for every paycheck; after all, I could now afford my own pizza! That $58.56 a week was a king's ransom to me!

Across America, we are continuing to experience poor economic conditions. Most of the jobs listed in our local paper are starting at around $8.50 per hour, and people are standing in line to get them! Jobs for over $10.00 per hour are rare and the competition for them is fierce. People with years of experience are willing to take massive pay cuts just to be employed. Older workers have been just about eliminated from the employment pool. Those folks that are 55 years old or older face some very difficult days ahead. Jobs are scarce and high wages are non-existent in today's economy.

On January 5th, President Obama said goodbye to Robert Gibbs, as he is stepping down from his job as Press Secretary. He lauded Gibbs' service and said he was sorry to see him go. Gibbs has been in the Obama camp since 2004, a loyal supporter of the President. Obama said Gibbs has been going at a 24/7 pace for years for relatively "modest pay". I guess for Washington $172,000 per year is "modest pay". I know a lot of people who would love that "modest income"! Junior White House staffers earn somewhere in the vicinity of $40,000 to $60,000 per year. I know a lot of people who would love to make those paychecks! Government workers make an average salary of $67,691! These salaries seem pretty good to the folks who are standing in line for $8.50 per hour. I believe Mr. Obama needs a reality check; he's been in government too long; he has no clue as to what the average American is dealing with on a daily basis! Mr. Obama would be well served if he had to get by on what Mr. and Mrs. America does every day of every week of every year. Mr. Obama needs to redefine his definition of "modest pay". It sure looks more than modest to us "REGULAR FOLKS". Maybe we should pay government workers $8.50 per hour!