---
The University Daily Kansan emphasizes the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
HUFFMAN: Current minimum wages would have parents work 120-hour weeks to survive. A minimum wage raise is just the first step in fixing this problem.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2007
WWW.KANSAN.COM
E-mail: opinion@kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 7A
》 OUR VIEW
Unrealistic 'American Dream' influences policies for worse
Americans are bombarded incessantly with the optimistic notion that we have bountiful economic opportunities. Television shows give away money like candy. Lottery ads shock us with outrageous potential earnings. Spam mail and advertisements tease us with hints about how to get rich quick! Making big money appears to be something we just learn to do.
Unfortunately, the American dream is unrealistic. Most Americans never surpass the socio-economic
status of their parents and economic inequality continues to grow.
As the monstrous gap between the wealthy and poor suggests, it is now actually more difficult for the average American to gain wealth. The nonpartisan think tank Demos suggests that America's young adults will face unusually challenging financial hardships.
Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, asserts, "The economy no longer generates widespread opportunity and security."
Reality crushes the American rags-to-riches fantasy. Nonetheless, Americans' hope of economic prosperity are pervasive. Despite having comfortable living conditions, middle-class America, the majority of the nation, continues to dream of bigger homes, fancier cars and new wardrobes. Most crave the latest gadgets and covet their neighbors' possessions.
The mythical American dream even affects how citizens vote.
Repeatedly, policy to tax the wealthiest of America — an infinitesimally small portion — is repealed or rejected.
A 2004 McLaughlin and Associates study found that 61 percent of America wanted to abolish the estate tax, unfairly dubbed the "death tax." Many who oppose the estate tax fear that it may someday diminish their own future hard-earned fortunes.
This fear, however, is unfounded. According to the organization
Responsible Wealth, the estate tax applies to less than one-third of 1 percent of all U.S. households. Furthermore, eliminating the tax would cost the U.S. an estimated $1 trillion in the first decade.
As Americans anticipate the day when they, too, can climb the economic ladder of success, many forget how well off they already are. Middle-class Americans in particular live luxuriously in comparison to billions of others worldwide. Most of us have homes with electricity.
heat and air conditioning. We have hot showers and toilets that flush. We even eat every day. Still, the elusive American dream permeates our lives, encouraging naive hopes and unhealthy desires.
It's time that Americans get more realistic. There's nothing wrong with dreaming, but it's foolish to let groundless hopes interfere with our lives and political prerogatives.
Alison Kieler for the editorial board
COMMENTARY
A day in a people-less life
I've tried it with myself, but I always end up feeling unfulfilled and a little ashamed. Many of my previous experiences have been confined to certain Web sites, in the privacy of my own room. I've heard it's so much better with a partner. Or even multiple partners, for the especially adventurous.
Lately, I've even been craving some passionate, uninhibited social intercourse.
I'm not really a social phobic. I might suffer from conversational dysfunction, but you're probably not the most compelling person, either.
My intrepid vessel was nearly out of gas. I blasted the detrost and the Decemberists. As I dropped anchor at a Conoco, I lamented my
Recently, I decided to enhance my flacid social skills by interacting with Real Live People. But first, I had to check my e-mail. I do this so often that I've diagnosed myself with obsessive-compulsive disorder. I've never been addicted to heroin, but I have a pretty good idea of what it feels like. After getting my Outlook Web Access fix, I embarked on a voyage for the prospect of an unprotected social encounter.
BY GRANT SNIDER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
still-fogged windshelld and Colin Meloy's newfound prog influences Pay at the Pump or Prepay Only? An unfortunate twist. I had hoped for some pleasant interaction with the gas station attendant. Perhaps I would ask him which brand of Lite beer he preferred, or how he got his goatee to grow in like that. I seriously considered prepaying, for a little of that human touch, but my wallet was barren, save for a shiny Jayhawk Visa. Reminded of the five credit card offers I received in the mail that day, I swiped the plastic, and abstained from potential conversation.
Baby, I was born to run — to the store, to pick up a five-subject college-ruled spiral notebook and assorted dairy products. Three gallons of 2 percent milk, one carton of lowfat cottage cheese, and five boxes of cereal later, I determined that
Dillons does not, in fact, sell school supplies. My disappointment was on par with the time I found out that Dillons does not sell toilet plungers. I once heard Rush Limbaugh say that they're going to have a sin tax on dairy products eventually, like they do with cigarettes. Praying to Pat Robertson that Rush was wrong, I paid for my sins at the express self-checkout, avoiding the judgmental words of a human cashier.
Wal-Mart, too, was out of five-subject notebooks. And in further mockery of my futile quest, there was no octogenarian at the door to greet me. My final hope for social stimulation and school supply sustenance was the Jayhawk Bookstore. I found the notebook immediately. Unfortunately, this glorified stack of paper cost $11.
Faced with my first opportunity for interpersonal relations, I thrust forward with a long string of expletives. The cashier turned away in disgust, prematurely ending my first social experience. I went home to check my e-mail, wishing they made a little blue pill for my condition.
Snider is a Mulvane junior in chemical engineering.
FREE FOR ALL
Call 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish Kansan editors reserve the right to emit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
Next year, do you think K-State fans will wear silver to the game in honor of the 25th anniversary?
United students, the name of your coalition is spelled wrong on Daisy Hill. You might want to know how to spell your name before you chalk it everywhere.
I love this time of year. I wait for it all semester. All the female legs come out to play
run on campus without a shirt on;
Shave your happy trail.
What's the deal with people wearing hats of Jayhawks wearing hats? That's stupid and unnec
To all the boys who are going to
图
students
Does anybody else find it amusing that one of the divisions of students in student senate is United
Amy has fat heels.
Is it me, or does painting black ashes on everyone's forehead on Ash Wednesday seem a little
pagan
To the kid who always leaves his pink shampoo bottle in the third floor bathroom of Hash: I peed
Why did my roommate just drunk dial this girl that doesn't drink?
Free-for-All, I'm sick of hanging out with Rosy Palm. I need a new
I think I'm giving up homework for Lent.
图
Hey, I can too get dates! Just not from lesbians, which blow my goddamned mind.
图
up.
up.
To the guy with the blow-up doll:
I'm no expert, but aren't they supposed to have holes?
Can someone please explain to me what the hell is on Eaton? I know they re fake, but why?
up.
To the biker that I almost hit! It's called a turn signal. Use your
hands
up.
I was just forced to listen to some military band at Mrs. Es, and it runned my birthday
Sixth floor Oliver boys, there's no reason to be that loud.
It puts my message in the paper
After much debating, I have decided that I'm giving up mastur-
bation food.
up.
--up.
To the guy that almost- that did bite it going down 14th Street hill on roller blades: We thought you were dead. Thank you for getting
up.
up.
Bait
ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM EMAIL ADDICTION
TAKE THIS EASY QUIZ TO FIND OUT
1. HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHECK YOUR EMAIL?
A. ON THE HOOR
B. WHEN THE BIG HAND AND THE LITTLE HAND GET PASSED BY THE REALLY LITTLE HAND
C. HOLD ON, I HAVE TO CHECK MY EMPIL
2. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE YOUR SELF WORTH?
A. THE QUALITY OF MY SPAM FILTER
B. HOW MANY NEW MESSAGES
DO I HAVE?
C I AM A VERY LUCKY PERSON.
I WAS RECENTLY CONTACTED
BY A NIGERIAN BUSINESSMAN
OFFERING TO WIRE
$ 50,000 TO MY BANK
ACCOUNT
3. HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO THIS SURVEY?
A. LET ME EMAIL IT TO YOU
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING:
IF YOU ANSWERED ANY OF
THESE QUESTIONS, SEEK
PSYCHIATRIC HELP. NOW!
GRANT SNIDER, SWANSON GENERAL
Grant Snider/KANSAN
COMMENTARY
Workers deserve poverty line at least
A person working 40 hours a week should be able to live at or above the poverty line. This is not possible for a parent with even one child in a single U.S. city at the current federal level of minimum wage. The real value of the minimum wage is the lowest it has been in 50 years when adjusted for inflation.
There is a vast disparity between the federal minimum wage, and what actually equates to a living wage. A living wage is the minimum hourly wage a full-time worker would need to earn to stay above the poverty line. The poverty line is the minimum amount of income a person needs to maintain a reasonable standard of living. This varies from city to city and depends on how many people are in a household.
For example, the living wage in Lawrence is $7.44 for one adult and $13.76 for one adult supporting one child, according to Poverty in America's living wage calculator, based on the Living Wage and Job Gap Study of Penn State. This means that to support a child, a worker would have to make nearly three times the current federal minimum hourly wage of $5.15 and double the University of Kansas' $7. This would translate to 80- and 120-hour work weeks, respectively, to live at the poverty line.
BY RACHAEL HUFFMAN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPRIONIKANSAN.COM
By passing living wage ordinances, businesses subsidized and contractors working with city or state are required to pay their full-time workers wages that place them at or above the poverty line. The effects of living-wage ordinances would have little impact on the majority of the private sector because of these limitations. In general, cities are large consumers of business, making it profitable to adhere to the ordinances.
Opponents of living wage ordinances argue that the increase in wages would cause employers to have to cut jobs, but a study by the Economic Policy Institute — a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, of the effects of passing a living wage ordinance in Baltimore showed no resulting job loss and decreased turnover rates, helping to curb training costs.
In 2005, the then-Republicaned Senate rejected another bill that would have raised the minimum wage to $6.25. Every single
Democrat voted in favor. In addition to passing wage ordinances at a city level, states should raise the overall minimum wages. Twenty-nine states have already passed legislation doing that, showing that the legislation currently debated in Congress is long overdue.
The bill that has passed the Senate Feb. 1, and the House Feb. 16 would raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade to $7.25 throughout the next two years. For those of you who remember high school civics, there is the problem of tax bills having to originate in the House, further delaying the reconciliation of these two bills. According to the Economic Policy Institute, it would affect an estimated 14.9 million workers — 80 percent of whom are more than 20 years old.
Steps are being taken to fix this problem, but we still have a long way to go. Instead of a token raise that will likely not be repeated for another decade, the minimum wage should increase yearly with the rate of inflation. Living wage ordinances should be the rule instead of the exception.
TALK TO US
Huffman is a Kansas City, Mo., junior in anthropology.
Gabriella Souza. editor
864-4854 or gsouza@kansan.com
Nicole Kelley, managing editor
864-4854 or nkelley@kansan.com
Patrick Ross. managing editor 864-4854 or prossalkansan.com
Courtney Hagen, opinion editor
864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
Natalie Johnson associate opinion editor 864-4924 or mjohnsonsikansan.com
Jackie Schaffer, sales manager
864-4462 or jschaffer@kansan.com
Lindsey Shirak, business manager
864-4014 or lshirak@ikansan.com
Malcolm Gibson, general manager, news adviser 864-7667 or mgibsonilkansan.com
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jweaveriikansan.com
》 SUBMISSIONS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Courtney Hagen or Matella Johnson at 648-4810 e-mail opinionkanans.com. General questions should be directed to the editor at editor kanans.com.
LETTER GUIDELINES
Maximum Length: 200 words
**Include:** Author's name, class, hometown (student) or position (faculty member/staff) and phone number (will not be published)
SUBMIT LETTERS TO
111 Stuart Flock Hall
1455 Ibaylys Kirkwood
Lawrence KX 66453
7843-6453 or 8449-6453 for kumanan.com
Maximum Length: 500 words
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
**Include:** Author's name, class, hometown (student), position (faculty member)/staff) and phone number (will not be published)
Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack a reporter or another columnist.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabriella Souza, Nicole Kelley, Patrick Ross, Courtney Hagen, Natalie Johnson, Alison Klee, Tasha Riggins and McKay Stangler
---