I worked at various jobs from dishwasher to computer scientist for over 49 years, and during most of those years, women were the dominant sex. Not only did most receive “equal” pay, but over half were paid more than I was. As a consequence of this experience, I’ve asked several employed ladies if they were being financially abused. They’ve all said, no, they made as much as their male counterparts. But they agreed many females were generally less reliable in some professions than men. From my own experience, females took more sick leave, took longer lunch hours, and did more socializing on the job. So what is Hannah-Beth Jackson trying to prove in Sacramento?

Equal pay for equal work is talked about, but the fact is this is a free country, and wages are dependent on the economy, work-force reliability, education and experience, and skill levels. Trying to equate a janitor with a housekeeper is ridiculous. It’s like equating a baby sitter with a brick mason. Both the environment and the expertise are entirely different. Anyone can make a bed and run a washing machine. Cleaning the attic and power washing a parking lot is not rocket science, but it is a bit different and so is the environment.

In the computer business, as in many others, pay was based on job performance and experience, not sex. So what is Jackson actually trying to do? According to her, if her bill passes, it would put more onus on a new enforcement agency (more taxes) to determine what is and is not “equal.” So far, the culture and economy have done that quite well. If a housekeeper wants to make more money, he or she can get a better paying job at a different company or in a different profession. That may mean working harder and longer, and it might mean learning something besides how to make a bed.

Jackson is not qualified for her job. I can only imagine that she got elected for the simple reason that no one else wanted the job. That is a sorry sort of affairs. The Independent needn’t encourage her with free publicity. My suggestion is for Hannah-Beth Jackson to quit wasting tax money and get on to her real job of representing her constituents.

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