But, reasonable guy that he is, The Motley Monk is willing to consider data-based arguments for both, especially if differences in wages are due to systemic discrimination.
An article in Yahoo! News provides some food for fodder, so to speak.
Researchers at George Washington University (GWU) have discovered statistically significant correlations between obesity among Americans and their paychecks. In virtually every case, obese Americans take home a smaller paycheck than their average-weight coworkers.
The following facts emerged from an analysis of the 2004 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth:
- The average annual cost of being obese---both direct and indirect costs---was $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man.
- Overall average annual incomes for obese women were $8,666 less than the wages of their coworkers of average weight. (In 2008, this differential fell to an average of $5,826.)
- Overall average annual incomes for obese men were $4,772 less than wages paid to coworkers of average weight.
It should be noted that these correlations are not new. But, what is new is that the GWU study extended previous analyses by assessing the relative strength of this correlation between differing gender and race populations. In 2004:
- Obese Hispanic women earned $6,618 less than average-weight Hispanic women.
- Obese Hispanic men earned $8,394 less than average-weight Hispanic men.
- But, obese Black men earned more than average-weight Black men and wages were similar for obese and average-weight Black women.
If The Motley Monk "gets it," these data suggest that, in the name of social justice, non-Black obese workers---particularly Hispanic workers---deserve increases in salary since they are the victims of systemic wage discrimination. Perhaps increasing the minimum wage or paying a living wage would ameliorate the "wage injustice" that obese non-Black workers suffer?
Is this a cause that liberals on the political left should make their own?
Let the discussion begin...
To read the Yahoo! News, article, click on the following link:
http://news.yahoo.com/obesity-linked-lower-paychecks-140211914.html
a) The largest (pun intended)proportion of tubbies seem to be centered in the former C.S.A. (Motto: Treason in Defense of Slavery since 1861). these are also right-to-work- a-peson-to-death states without a strong union presence. Coincidence? The Liberal Pilgrim is skeptical.
ReplyDeleteb) TMM is a reasonable person? Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!