Re: Treaty Grounds; wages in Moscow

["Travis Tonn" <vart@turbonet.com>]

This discussion brings up an interesting topic:  Seemingly low wages in
Moscow.  Part of my city council campaign platform was to try and attract
higher wage businesses to Moscow.   I was born and raised here but joined
the Navy as a way to make decent money and learn skills with horrible high
school grades.   Having been stationed in places like San Diego,
Seattle-area, Memphis and Hawaii, I realized that there were all sorts of
high wage jobs for high school graduates.
    When I moved to Iowa in '93 and got hired on at Maytag Corp., I realized
that Moscow was indeed lacking.  The most I ever made in Moscow as a lowly
H.S. graduate was $7 an hour, and here I was in Iowa making $36,000 a year!
When I was looking for work in Iowa, I turned down anything less than $10 an
hour.  But, being a quality assurance inspector at Maytag isn't exactly  as
glamorous as one might think.  I moved back to Moscow to get a degree and
went from $17 an hour, down to $10, part-time, and I have to commute to
Clarkston.
    For me, it is a sacrifice that must be made in order to secure a job and
a lifestyle that I want for my family.   It is just too bad that when I get
my degree, I will likely have to move from my hometown to support my family.
I know that many business owners, like Jerry Schutz, would love to be able
to pay their employees $15 an hour.  But, the numbers have got to work if
you're going to make it in business, and paying drivers $15 an hour is not
smart, or possible.
    Still, my wife and I drive through some of these new developments and
neighborhoods in Moscow full of $200,000+ houses and wonder, "Where do they
work?".   So, Visionaries, who are the big dollar employers in Moscow?  How
do we attract more employers like them?  And, most importantly, would that
be a good thing for Moscow?  Is it possible to have high wage jobs without
increased development?  Is having the desire to preserve Moscow as a
pleasant small town make one an isolationist of sorts(flawed comparative
thinking, perhaps)?
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry L. Schutz <jschutz@moscow.com>
To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
Date: Saturday, January 08, 2000 6:46 PM
Subject: RE: Treaty Grounds


>Bob,  I don't want to get into a debate on minimum wage.  I would make the
>point that if a person chooses to sell their time, for whatever wage be it
a
>minimum wage burger flipping at McDonalds or the CEO of Microsoft, they
>should have at least a modicum of responsibility to the employer and a
>desire to the job to the best of their abilities.
>
>If an employee can't at least do that, then all the money in the world
isn't
>going to make them any better.  It's ethic, attitude, and pride in a job
>well done that makes the difference and is lacking in many job-seekers
>today.
>
>A job is neither a God-given right, nor an entitlement.  I'd like to think
>most of us in business do the best we can to pay our employees a living
>wage, treat them fairly, and keep our customers coming back. I know there
>are abuses on both sides, but we do what we can do in our own little
corners
>of the world.
>
>Jerry L. Schutz
>
>