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Socialized
'Pay Equity' Bill Pushed In Tenn. Legislature
Conversation
Radio Network
February
27, 2006
(CRN
News) - Legislation is being debated in the Tennessee
state legislature that would put the government in the position
of setting wages. House Bill 2621, which is now before
the Government Operations committee, would require equal
pay for "comparable jobs." Comparable, in
this case, would be determined by the government, essentially
bypassing the capitalist system. Proponents, like
Rep. Kim McMillan (D-Clarksville), sponsor of the bill,
argue that women's wages for comparable work amount to just
62 percent of men's wages. However, when factors such
as age, experience, education and number of years in the
workforce are considered, women's wages are virtually identical
to men's wages.
Under the McMillan
bill, jobs would not necessarily be compared directly, rather
"comparable" work would be determined subjectively
by bureaucrats, judges or government boards. Bad idea,
says Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet). This legislation
"seeks to replace the free market system of setting
wages with a government wage-setting mechanism that would
define 'fair wages' for jobs," Lynn says. "Not
for necessarily equal jobs, but for jobs of supposedly comparable
value to society. And not necessarily for the same employer
but comparisons are made between different employers."
The
McMillan bill hinges on the premise that woman are being
discriminated against in the workplace, a position disputed
by Emory University economist Cotton Lindsay. "The
evidence of wide and persistent wage disparities between
working men and working women does not point unequivocally
to discrimination," Lindsay points out, adding that
"observed
wage differences are likely to originate in productivity
and taste differences, not in discrimination."
Rep. Lynn calls
the bill "a make work bill for Trial Lawyers."
Women are already covered under federal
and state laws barring discrimination. HB 2621 will
be debated again before the House Government Operations
committee at 10AM on Wednesday.
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