PITTSBURGH (Newsradio KDKA) - There are several stories circulating that I find intriguing so this week’s editorial is more of an informational buffet. Here are my random thoughts:
1. FAT
Welcome to Hollywood East: Pittsburgh, PA! Our fair city will be the backdrop in another big-time flick. The Christian Bale-effort is seeking paid extras for the affair. As KDKA Morning Show host Larry Richert and I discussed last week, The Pittsburgh Film Office and Mosser Extras are seeking men aged 18-45 with longer locks and facial hair. No problem in our region. The film, a murder/mystery involving a young Edgar Allen Poe, takes place in 1830 at a military academy. Those chosen for ‘Pale Blue Eye’ will be paid $168 per 12-hour day and can expect to work 10-12 days. You must attend a mandatory boot camp to learn some marching and drills, etc.
Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! Many Oscar hopefuls will be excluded. Why? First, ‘cadets’ cannot have any visible piercings. Also, ‘ink’ was not fashionable in 1830. So, NO face, neck, chest, or hand tattoos! Most importantly: let’s say, as a society, that we have let ourselves go. Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) needs scrawny men! Lots of them. Look around. Can you quickly find 3,000 skinny dudes in our area?
As the casting company explains, ‘physiques were slim in the 1830’s.’ Uh-Oh. We are a town that doubles down on ranch dressing as we slap fries on our ‘salad.’ Yes, there are a few of us still under the maximum 36-inch waistline but that is, sort of, like a sunny day in Western PA: We don’t have enough of them.
A quick search found that the average adult American male is 5’9” tall. That has not changed since 1960. However, we are now on average 197 lbs. That is 31 pounds more than 61 years ago. We are victims of good nutrition, abundant food (barring the empty shelves), sedentary lifestyles, and chemical additives. So long silver screen dreams & caviar wishes.
2. QUITTERS
Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order that demands that companies pay $13.50/hour if those entities receive incentives from the government, which is funded by taxpayers. Minimum wage is PA is $7.25, which is the federal minimum. That bottom-line number has not budged in years. Our neighboring states force employers to pay more for labor. New York’s minimum is $12.75. New Jersey is $12. Maryland is $11.75. Delaware pays $9.25. Ohio is $8.80. WV is $8.75. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that roughly 1.5% of workers make the league minimum. Over 48% of them are younger, less experienced Americans under age 25.
No, you cannot live on minimum wage. It was never meant to be a full-time wage for extended sustainability. Besides, the argument over minimum wage is irrelevant and the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, which ushered in the era of prevailing wages, was based on pure, institutional, governmental racism. The market dictates the terms even if ‘cheap labor’ undercuts establishment contractors. The more available workers there are then the less pay. Less available workers equals more pay. Two McDonald’s on McKnight Road are offering $22/hr and free bus passes to new employees looking to make an honest living. Most other places are paying $13-18/hr. If you are stuck making the minimum then I suggest that you join the other 4.3 million Americans who left their job for greener pastures last month.
3. Free College
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Someone is paying for it. The campaign promises of ‘tuition-free’ college are no different. Last week, two years of free tuition at community colleges or public universities landed on the editing room floor of the president’s ‘Build Back Better’ reconciliation plan. Federal & state taxpayers should breathe a sigh of relief. They, America’s workers - plumbers, butchers, secretaries, chemists, talking heads, waiters, contractors, farmers, landscapers, bakers, etc would have had to foot the bill. Why? Why should an employed person who has bills of their own pay for someone else’s kid to go to college? Why should a roofer or mechanic pay tuition at a college they are not attending especially when that college may have a massive endowment?
The answer is simple. When a third party blindly pays with someone else’s money then most don’t even look at or question the bills. The bills are simply paid regardless of how much they raise from year-to-year. Besides, Bloomberg News/Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service reports that the median college endowment grew by 27% last fiscal year. Did your pay rise that much? Over 200 colleges have endowments of more than $500,000,000. In fact, the University of Pennsylvania (private) has a $20.5 Billion endowment! If universities, many of which are experiencing declining enrollments, want ‘free tuition’ then they can pay for it or work with sponsors who will. They can think of it as an investment: maybe graduates will donate money back to their bloated endowments. If not, I guess free tuition really is not that important to them.
Kevin Battle worked multiple, low-wage jobs to pay off his school loans in 5 years. He is co-host of the KDKA Radio Morning Show with Larry Richert. It airs M-F 5a-9a on Pittsburgh’s 100.1FM & AM1020 KDKA or on the free Audacy app. Ask your smartspeaker to: ‘Play KDKA.’ Thank you.