Lilly Ledbetter And Fair Pay

During the second Presidential debate a question came up that spoke to equal pay for women in the work place.  Specifically the fact that women earn a fraction of what men earn.

In that back and forth, Mitt Romney mentioned that “they brought us whole binders of women…”

This has upset the left.  I suspect that this will play out like Big Bird.  But tonight I saw an interview of Ms. Ledbetter:

Watching the interview it struck me that she most likely deserved to get paid less than an average employee doing the same job that she performed.  Listen to her bullshit at 3:05:

It’s a fundamental American right to be paid and compensated …

It’s clear that this woman has no earthly clue about what she is talking about.  She is implying in her statement that pay and compensation must be equal independent of proficiency.  To be paid the same amount of another individual most certainly is NOT a fundamental American right.

13 responses to “Lilly Ledbetter And Fair Pay

  1. Karyn Chenoweth

    Now now Phil….she may not have included it in that specific sentence but she repeatedly says equal pay for equal work. Doesn’t that imply performance and efficiency are most certainly tied together?

    Also…how do u listen to a clip of her on a show and determine she didn’t deserve equal pay at the time? That’s a bit of a reach isn’t it?

    • Doesn’t that imply performance and efficiency are most certainly tied together?

      Yes, to you and me, it does. We understand that Big Ben is worth more than Christian Ponder but less than Drew Brees. We expect pay to reflect ability.

      The left does not see it that way. This explains why teachers make the same pay regardless of proficiency. This is why union manufacturing shops compensate in the same manner.

      how do u listen to a clip of her on a show and determine she didn’t deserve equal pay at the time? That’s a bit of a reach isn’t it?

      Unless she worked with a room full of people who were equally clueless, it’s pretty clear that she wouldn’t be as effective as someone who could clearly articulate the subject.

      In short, smart people make better busboys than less smart people do.

  2. I don’t think the left was upset about ‘binders of women,’ but having fun with it. It made for great little photo shopped Romney bits and the left could make fun of him. But it was more humor than being upset. I also agree with Karyn above that you’re reading things into her statement that aren’t there. Equal pay for equal work does not mean equal pay for work of lower proficiency.

    • I don’t think the left was upset about ‘binders of women,’ but having fun with it.

      I agree; mostly. The vast majority of “rational” democrats were making fun of it; even allowing Clinton to get in the act – have you seen the pictures of him with the statement? However, the hardcore feminist players ARE upset – crazy.

      • Yeah, the one with Clinton rushing out with his arms open – hilarious! There was also Hillary texting, “You mean Romney still uses binders?” It’s like when Obama said ’57 states’ (I believe he meant territories and statees). A stupid slip of the tongue and people made fun of it.

        • It’s like when Obama said ’57 states’ (I believe he meant territories and statees).

          Obama said 57 because that’s how many states, territories and other US governed places out there are eligible to vote in primaries. Obama was campaigning in 57 places at one point in time.

  3. Like Karyn says, she is explicitly talking about equal pay for equal work. Proficiency is a part of that. You are trying to take one sentence completely out of context and not only mischaracterize her position but also insult her intelligence because of this out of context quote. That’s pretty shady, or shoddy, depending on how much you were actually paying attention when you chose to excerpt that.

    • You are trying to take one sentence completely out of context and not only mischaracterize her position

      Nick, please find for me the language that gives a person the “basic fundamental right” to:

      A: Be paid
      B: The same as someone else – for ANY reason.

      also insult her intelligence because of this out of context quote.

      I’m not insulting her intelligence. I’m just saying that she doesn’t have a lot of it. Did you listen to the entirety of the bit? Seriously, listen to the words she says, don’t overlay your belief on the topic, just listen to her talk.

      The binders disturbed me. That was unnerving to be talking about binders.

      I know Obama needs women. I know the left think they have a winner in “War on women” but seriously, your two spokeswomen, Lilly and Sandra, are not the powerhouses you think they are. She may rally your base, but she doesn’t sway independent minded people.

      • She isn’t saying everyone has a right to get paid for no reason at all. She’s saying that when you work in America, you have a right to compensation and that that compensation cannot be unfairly tilted based on gender. And that’s been the law for 50 years now.

        You are taking the single sentence about “right to be paid”, which occurs immediately after “equal pay for equal work” and acting like it was a completely independent thought. It’s not.

        I’ve also never said that Lily and Sandra are powerhouses, though I do think the former is pretty great. The latter doesn’t do much for me, she’s just a law student who testified before Congress and then people like Limbaugh decided to go after her because they’re assholes.

        • She’s saying that when you work in America, you have a right to compensation and that that compensation cannot be unfairly tilted based on gender.

          She may be saying that; after listening to the words she uses to express herself, it is not clear what, exactly, she is saying. Be that as it may there is no “right to compensation.” There is “right to contract.” That is, if you and I agree on the price you’ll pay me to mow your lawn, and I then mow that lawn, you have to pay me. There is no obligation that you have to pay me any more or less than that agreement.

          And it can be based on gender. Or race. Or whatever else reason someone may have. Now, that may make the employer an asshole, and I’d argue he would be, but it doesn’t make it wrong from a stance of “liberty.”

          Before you reply, I openly acknowledge that we have passed laws making that illegal. I don’t deny that the law says what you are saying. I’m taking the stance that the law is wrong; there is no fundamental right to what you are claiming she’s claiming.

          The latter doesn’t do much for me, she’s just a law student who testified before Congress and then people like Limbaugh decided to go after her because they’re assholes.

          To be fair to your point, he did attack her before she appeared at the DNC. But she did appear at the DNC.

  4. I admit I did not know the original story behind Ms. Ledbetter so I had to research it . She was paid less than her male peers by Goodyear. However, even men are treated unfairly in the real world . Companies will pay you as little as they can . Not all men in the same job , especially managers are paid exactly the same. I would like someone to explain how you enforce equal pay rules when you have disparities of pay within the managerial ranks of an organization even among the male employees .

    I have already brought up on another board the experiences of women working for the Obama White House . In Suskind’s book those experiences are not flattering . If you Romney haters want to be taken seriously you should find examples of female employees working for Romney who were paid less than their male counterparts and were otherwise mistreated . It should be really easy since you have binders of women to find .

    • However, even men are treated unfairly in the real world . Companies will pay you as little as they can . Not all men in the same job , especially managers are paid exactly the same.

      When I started at the company I’m now in, there was a guy doing the same job, not as well — but hey, as me. Not only was he making more money than me he was two pay grades higher than me. His RAISES were bigger than mine were year over year.

      He negotiated a better deal than I did.

      Life has a way of working out though, his pay grade now reports to me.

      • I worked at a kitchen cabinet maker once, being paid minimum wage as a summer employee. I had been done for a couple months than received a check in the mail for a few hundred dollars. It was from Starmark, where I work. The letter explained, “you were paid as someone who stocked shelves, but from your supervisors we have learned that you were actively involved in production. Therefore you should have been paid a higher rate.” OK, corporations can be unfair, just as people can be unfair. But I also realized then that people can be fair too. I support the Lily Ledbetter act, but I don’t think corporations simply try to get away with paying as little as possible. Some do, but my own experience says that at least small businesses have a sense of fairness. To me the Lily Ledbetter act is less about corporations being sexist than about a broader cultural issue.

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