Clark- Promoting Equal Pay For Women

[KittyWampus]

Note: mentions minimum wage of $7 by 2007. That seems woefully inadequate, IMO. However, Equal Pay policy sounds good.

Promoting Equal Pay- no copyright.

Equal pay for equal work is only fair, according to Wes Clark. On Monday morning, Clark told a roundtable at Stonyfield Farm in Londonderry, New Hampshire about his plan to close the pay gap for American women.

"The amount of money you earn in this country should be determined by one thing: the amount you contribute," said Clark, "and until women in this country earn 100 cents for every dollar men earn - we all lose out."

Today, women still earn only 73 cents for every dollar men earn. For example, in 2001, women in sales earned only about 62% of what men in equivalent positions earned. Women in construction earned 71% of what men in that industry earned.

The statistics for women of color are even worse: African American women earn only 64 cents, and Hispanic women earn only 55 cents, for every dollar earned by white men.

"Unequal pay isn't just a women's issue," said Clark. "When women are shortchanged, families are shortchanged, and that's simply unacceptable."

In a growing number of families, women are the primary breadwinners. In 22 percent of families with children women are the sole income earners.

Since the passage of the Equal Pay Act, we have made progress in closing the pay gap. But, in recent years, progress has slowed. Wes Clark has a plan to put us back on track to closing the pay gap.

"In my Administration, the rule will be simple: you discriminate, you pay," Clark said. His plan will increase penalties on employers who discriminate. He will help women vindicate themselves in court by making it easier to sue discriminators and recover compensatory and punitive damages against them.

Clark supports improving pay for women, increasing the minimum wage to $7 an hour by 2007, improving job training and expanding continuing education. His Families First Tax Reform plan will help ease the burden on single mothers, by putting more money back in their bank accounts.

He will do more to eliminate the excuses for pay inequity. Clark will expand family and medical leave to cover businesses with 25 or more employees and appointments related to school, health care, and domestic violence.

"Closing the pay gap isn't going to be easy," Clark concluded. "It's going to take a higher standard of leadership. Leadership that puts America's interests above the special interests. Leadership that promotes open, honest government, and holds people accountable. Leadership not just for the next election, but for the next generation."

Story Link here: http://www.clark04.com/story/73/
Policy Paper here: http://www.clark04.com/issues/equalpay/

[imhotep]

1. blatent pandering

Clark knows most women despise him, and this platitude gimmick won't fool them.

[jmaier]

2. My goodness,

The sniping has no bounds. Which majority of the women are you speaking for?

[Democrats unite]

3. Apparently not the one's supporting Clark!

eom

[Renew Deal]

lol

Now that's what I call bashing

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. Think again

sweetheart. What's wrong? Are you upset that Clark is smarter than your freeper candidate? Oh, well. Such is life. Deal with it.

[stickdog]

4. Who cares about sexism? Clark has never married a black woman.

Therefore, he's obviously insensitive to this country's racial issues.

[Renew Deal]

5. lol

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Are we throwing a fit because Clark is smarter than your freeper candidate? Waaaaaa! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Fucking HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[spooky3]

6. I think it's great that he's following CMB's lead in getting this issue on

the table.

He had better watch out for AS at the next debate, however. The gender pay gap in the military is pretty large, even with some controls factored in.

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Is he in charge of detirmining what the military pay is?

No. I don't think so. :eyes:

[spooky3]

11. Excuse me, you may be forgetting a few points

1) pay is at least partially a function of what job one holds. Do generals have any influence over who is appointed to what jobs?

2) There are MANY civilians employed on military bases, and many of them are women. Do you claim generals have no influence over civilian pay increases?

3) At the time one is a general can one one speak about pay issues and order pay equity studies?

As I said, I'm glad CMB is no longer the only one raising pay equity issues. I happen to believe that Clark is sincere about this, but time will tell.

I believe Sharpton was unfair to some degree in his comments to Dean, who has no more control over the demographics of Vermont. Unless Sharpton now believes he was unfair, I don't know why you would expect him not to raise the question with Clark as to whether he has truly walked the walk.

[spooky3]

12. add point 4) military employees' pay also can be affected

by management policies and practices.

http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/articles/military/armyoverview.asp

"Soliders receive medical and dental care, earn 30 days vacation annually, and a salary that increases with promotion. Rises in rank and pay grade occur over time, based on how long an individual has been in his/her current rank, and also on *merit*." (my *emphasis*)

Any system that allows for subjective factors such as merit to be included is at least partially controlled by managers, and also allows for bias.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. A penalty for discrimination?

I love this man! It's about damn time someone started addressing this issue. When a woman is working the same job as a man and being paid less than him......that is criminal. Kudos to Wes for having the guts to bring this to the forefront.

Go, Wes!