A couple of weeks ago, i was re-arranging the schedule due to somebody being let go. I had a meeting with my student workers to work out the schedule. Afterwards i get a phone call from a student worker who worked for me last year who wants to work for a month until he goes back to SIU-C. So, i had to move some people around, and at first they didn’t want to give up hours, but didn’t realize they were getting a 80 cent raise. I explained to them you will still coming out ahead in money and by working less hours.

These made me started thinking. Every year we get a percentage raise, and this year we got a 2% raise and will get another % rasie when faculty neogiations are finished. So, i figured the amount that the student workers were getting to the amount it got raised to, and it is a 12% raise. By 2010, minimum wage will be $8.25\hr here in IL. So, in three years minimum wage workers will receive a 27% increase.

So, people who are working minimum wage jobs, it is a good thing; however people like myself will be getting screwed over. When you get your pay increase, I’m taking a pay cut, because I have to pay more for everything becuase everytime minimum wage goes up, everything else goes up as well. One co-woker said it best: “i’m one dollar closer to being at the poverty level now than i was a few weeks ago. ”

On one hand, I don’t have a problem with minimum wage increase as long as they increase the wages of other people that are close to that. But on the other hand, most of the people working minimum wage jobs are High School or college students working their way through school, and i don’t think they deserve to be making that kind of money. Plus increasing minimum wage will also hurt small businesses. So, pretty much it’s like this: minimum wage people like the increase; people who are wealthy don’t see a difference, but the middle class is the ones getting the raw end of the deal.

We have several positions at the college where the people are making $8\hr. Now when minimum wage went up from $6.50 -> $7.50, you would think people would realize that the minimum wage people are getting very close to the same amount that they are receiving. Plus that full time staff position might require either an Associates degree, a bachelor’s degree or x number of years experience. Oh not to mention, that new hires are getting paid more some people who have been there for several years. What’s up with that?

It’s going to be very interesting for the next few years to see what takes place regarding this issue. Several of us had a discussion one day, and all of us are on the same page about this.

So, let me hear your thoughts, comments on this. Tell others about this, and have them comment as well.

Since i really did not want to spend $$$ on trying to get physical copies of digital pictures, i decided to see if i could post them on my site. After trying for a week to get the pictures uploaded, i realized that the pics were just too big. So, I used M$’s Windows XP photo resizer. Once i got all 600+ pictures resized, i finally was able to upload the pictures without a problem. They are located in my photo gallery under the vacation folder or click here to go directly to the pictures.

Right now we are in California staying at a motel with free wifi. So, i figured it would be a good time to give an update.

Day 1 = Up @ 4:30am, flew  from STL->PHX @ 6:45am. My watched died mid-flight. The displat says 12:00:00 and it doesn’t move.  Arrived in Phoenix and it was 96 degrees at 9am local time. We were looking at three different rental cars: A Nissian Maxima, A Toyota Avalon, and an Infinity Q30. All of these were ’07’s. Drove from Phoenix to Grand Canyon. It was so awesome to see such a beautiful place. Spent the night at the park.

Day 2 = up @ 7:30am, left park. Travelled along US 66. Continued on to Vegas. Gambled three times. I told myself i would spent $20 on gambling and that’s it. So, i still have $12 to go when we stop back there on Sunday night. Interenet Access was $12\day, so my brother and I said we can wait until we find free wifi.

Day 3 = Land of Foreigners (AKA Death Valley). When we stopped at several spots in death valley, all the other people were oriential-type and\or didn’t not speak English as their primary language. At one point along the way it was 93 degrees (at sea level), then 30 minutes later, at 3000 feet, it was 69 degrees. It was actually a nice day becuase of a cold front that came through last night.

Dsy 4 = Drove thru mountains and almost got sick due 2 curve roads. 48* low during drive.Ate @ Black Bear Restaurant. Good food, but large portions. Arrived @ sequoia national late afternoon. Walked a trail 4 bout 1hr or so.saw deer. Bought sweatshirt and food $42.

Day 5 = Drove thru park. Saw more big sequoia trees and even some waterfalls. Lunch @ park. Saw bear and deer.