dev_chieftain (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dev_chieftain) wrote2012-06-22 02:51 pm
dev_chieftain) wrote2012-06-22 02:51 pm
Why you should give a flying fuck about amounts that total less than a dollar
For some reference. This is of course only the 2010 Median Annual Earnings by race and gender, but I think it makes the point pretty clearly.
Personally, I take away from this that:
1- women are getting screwed in terms of pay. Not surprising, but it makes me mad.
2- hispanic and black persons are getting REALLY screwed in terms of pay.
3- Asian workers are assumed to fit the stereotype that Asian workers are better educated and more reliable in high-pressure jobs (which limits choices for Asian workers even further than pushy parents might) and are more likely to receive higher-paying jobs than persons of other minorities; but I think those same workers are probably pushed harder and treated with less respect in exchange for that money.
For a less charged topic: In the Phoenix area of AZ, the range of gas prices as of today is between 3.29 (cheapest) and 3.79 (most expensive). (For the whole state, the cheapest price is in Tucson at 3.09 and the most expensive is in Williams at 4.09, which is a pretty significant difference).
Edited to add for the curious: Nationwide for the USA, the range appears to be between 2.75 at the lowest, and 5.39. The important thing to remember is that I'm limiting my area of search to a specific state for cost of living reasons. It's more expensive to live in HI than AZ, for example; so a nationwide average isn't helpful because it negates the acknowledgment that anyone paying the higher prices is living in an area where the higher prices are possible. Instead, I'm looking at a small part of AZ, where it's fair to say that the base cost of living is going to be the same regardless of social class. Someone making less than I do still has to pay the same gas prices I do here; someone making more, same. Therefore, it's an accurate gauge of why the gas prices are a big deal. To someone making a lot of money? Probably not. To the rest of us? It's exponential. To me, 600$ is a big difference but as an annual cost, not too bad. To someone making 10k$ less than I do? That's a very big difference-- because that person is making about 385$ less per biweekly paycheck than I am.
Assume you have an 11-gallon gas tank and you fuel up weekly, and in the Phoenix area of AZ? That's an annual price difference of almost 300$. In the full area of AZ? That's an annual price difference of 600+$.
Now let's look at the wage gap. Carmona, who I hope anybody in the AZ area will be voting for-- just like I'd be voting for Darcy Burner if I was in WA-- posted to a Tucson online publication today calling for wage equality and the passing of the fair paycheck act. He pointed out that the wage gap here in AZ is 82 cents to the dollar.
That means that the job I'm going to, which refuses to offer me more than a salary that is 2k$ less than my current salary (and I'm still taking because I think I might be able to make supplemental income), would theoretically be offering a salary 8k$ higher than the one I'm being offered if I was male. When I tried to negotiate, I was told that this amount is what I'm being offered based on my education. And like, I could have pushed, but I kind of wanted the job more than I wanted to potentially just get excluded because of my insistence on fair treatment.
But the thought that I could be making a net of 6k$ more than I am currently making, and might not be because of paycheck unfairness? That makes me pretty fucking angry. That makes me angry in the same way that seeing the gas prices crawl up and corporations actively try to suppress research into alternative fuel options does.
And stuff like this adds up really fucking fast.
Personally, I take away from this that:
1- women are getting screwed in terms of pay. Not surprising, but it makes me mad.
2- hispanic and black persons are getting REALLY screwed in terms of pay.
3- Asian workers are assumed to fit the stereotype that Asian workers are better educated and more reliable in high-pressure jobs (which limits choices for Asian workers even further than pushy parents might) and are more likely to receive higher-paying jobs than persons of other minorities; but I think those same workers are probably pushed harder and treated with less respect in exchange for that money.
For a less charged topic: In the Phoenix area of AZ, the range of gas prices as of today is between 3.29 (cheapest) and 3.79 (most expensive). (For the whole state, the cheapest price is in Tucson at 3.09 and the most expensive is in Williams at 4.09, which is a pretty significant difference).
Edited to add for the curious: Nationwide for the USA, the range appears to be between 2.75 at the lowest, and 5.39. The important thing to remember is that I'm limiting my area of search to a specific state for cost of living reasons. It's more expensive to live in HI than AZ, for example; so a nationwide average isn't helpful because it negates the acknowledgment that anyone paying the higher prices is living in an area where the higher prices are possible. Instead, I'm looking at a small part of AZ, where it's fair to say that the base cost of living is going to be the same regardless of social class. Someone making less than I do still has to pay the same gas prices I do here; someone making more, same. Therefore, it's an accurate gauge of why the gas prices are a big deal. To someone making a lot of money? Probably not. To the rest of us? It's exponential. To me, 600$ is a big difference but as an annual cost, not too bad. To someone making 10k$ less than I do? That's a very big difference-- because that person is making about 385$ less per biweekly paycheck than I am.
Assume you have an 11-gallon gas tank and you fuel up weekly, and in the Phoenix area of AZ? That's an annual price difference of almost 300$. In the full area of AZ? That's an annual price difference of 600+$.
Now let's look at the wage gap. Carmona, who I hope anybody in the AZ area will be voting for-- just like I'd be voting for Darcy Burner if I was in WA-- posted to a Tucson online publication today calling for wage equality and the passing of the fair paycheck act. He pointed out that the wage gap here in AZ is 82 cents to the dollar.
That means that the job I'm going to, which refuses to offer me more than a salary that is 2k$ less than my current salary (and I'm still taking because I think I might be able to make supplemental income), would theoretically be offering a salary 8k$ higher than the one I'm being offered if I was male. When I tried to negotiate, I was told that this amount is what I'm being offered based on my education. And like, I could have pushed, but I kind of wanted the job more than I wanted to potentially just get excluded because of my insistence on fair treatment.
But the thought that I could be making a net of 6k$ more than I am currently making, and might not be because of paycheck unfairness? That makes me pretty fucking angry. That makes me angry in the same way that seeing the gas prices crawl up and corporations actively try to suppress research into alternative fuel options does.
And stuff like this adds up really fucking fast.
no subject
That reminds me, I have a copy of Word Economic Forum's "The Global Gender Gap Report" from 2010. I can send it to you if you want.
What was upsetting about that report was that in the ranks in terms of gender resource equality, South Korea was 104 out of 134, which is shameful. China and Japan had SK beat by a wide margin even, and those countries aren't well known for gender equality either. I can't imagine what my quality of life would be as a woman had my parents raised me there instead. :\
United States ranked 19 in WEF's report, if you're curious.
That said, I'm puzzled by your point #3. I thought this is from the US Census Bureau, meaning Asians compared are residing in the US. It doesn't make sense to conclude Asian countries are the most economically stable from the chart... I think it makes more sense to conclude Asians have been typically pressured (whether by their communities or themselves) to quickly ascend the socio-economic ladder by becoming successful businessman, doctors, engineers, etc. hence the higher median wages overall.
A fair paycheck act would be awesome. I hope states will consider it a legitimate issue.
ETA: Man, if I told my parents those gas prices, they'd be envious. It's well over $4 in some places! Although I think it's high across the board instead there being a the huge regional disparity like in your state. o.O
no subject
Oh, that would be interesting to read!
That's awful! :( And interesting...the US isn't all bad, which I do try to point out in the middle of complaining about the bits that are.
...Durr! I for some reason though it had been compiled by a worldwide census bureau. You are right, and I will edit my post. I do think that it actually implies both what you're saying, and a variant of what I was guessing-- that is to say, people expect Asians to be better qualified, so they're willing to give Asians jobs that they wouldn't to black persons, hispanic persons, or white women. It's a chicken and egg sort of thing, but since Asian persons are still technically a minority in much of the US, I think the fact that as a minority they're being given better opportunities does reflect the worldview (however incorrect) that persons from Asia are a more reliable choice for higher paying and higher pressure jobs.
Fucking shit, yeah. >:| well, I know Carmona does, anyway.
ETA: You have to remember that the cost of living WA is higher than the cost of living in AZ by a few thousand dollars. I'd need to make 6k$ more per year to have the same standard of living / cost of living I do right now if I lived in WA. (In CA it's about 12k$ difference; in OR it's about 4k$.) Relatively, what you should do is look at the range of gas prices within your own state to see how crazy it is (I just looked up "best gas prices in AZ" and the site I found also listed the worst-- for phoenix specific I added "Phoenix, AZ" instead.). While my prices seem better to you, we definitely have to remember that I live in a state that is poorer than yours!
no subject
I actually know very little about WA's gas prices as I don't drive here! Thankfully, I can get by with public transport as a student. I wouldn't want to drive here for many reasons... ._.
ETA: I'll email you the report as a .pdf later. Cat is squishing my arm and wanting to play right now. :3