John Varanese explains the minimum wage to us

Hmm... So people who work for minimum wage pretty much deserve what they get because they are lazy and should have planned out their lives better? Am I getting the gist?

Here's an idea... If you can't afford to pay your employees a living wage, you're not much a businessman. If the cost of doing business has become so high that you can't compete, perhaps it is YOU who has planned poorly and are only now getting what you deserve.

People eating at Varanese don't make minimum wage, so I guess he feels the comments are safe. And, assuming his words were not taken out of context (and as stated above, it sounds hard to believe they are), I'll be one of the many who aren't making minimum wage who will scratch it off my list of places to give my hard-earned dollars.

Shove that bootstrap up your arse, "sound business principles!" people.

/P.S. I used to make minimum wage, and I worked my ass off, as did most the people working with me
//The economy isn't what it was when you were bootstrapping your way up

Does anyone know how Chef Varanese treats his actual employees as opposed to theoretical minimum wage ones?

I think most, when being honest, can admit that there is difficulty finding employees who are dedicated and conscientious. Once you find those, you pay them more. Isn't this basically what the dude is saying? He's not insulting the good ones. He just pointing out that there are bad ones. And we all know that he is right.

Steve,
That's not really what he said. He spoke in absolutes and made no distinction between the good workers and the not as good. If he had done this, I think his comments would be significantly less controversial. At least that is my read and I'm assuming the quotes are accurate.

I can understand he wants to keep his costs as low as possible, but fail to understand his need to marginalize and stereotype an entire class of people.

Bill,
Clearly he is dividing entry level folks into at least two categories, those with ambition and those without. Do you think he is insulting all minimum wage workers, or just the slackers? Do you think these slackers deserve a raise? Clearly, he doesn't.

Based on the service I get when I visit Varanese, I'd say he's pretty good at sifting the wheat from the chaff. And I'm pretty convinced that his wheat makes more than minimum wages.

Personally, I think it's a good ideal to understand what someone is really saying and what they really think. Especially before commencing the public thrashing. Snippets from an interview are not a full accounting of a man. Can't this forum at least keep that Twitter mentality at arm's length?

Bill,
Clearly he is dividing entry level folks into at least two categories, those with ambition and those without.

“complaining about minimum wage are complacent.”

“These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,”

“You shouldn’t have a family of four on minimum wage, you shouldn’t be at that age being paid minimum wage,” he said “Where was your drive and your goals?”


I still fail to see any distinction or division into two groups. That may have been his intent, but neither you nor I know that from the information provided.

Not very long ago I was a college grad making $10 in my field. My wife made roughly the same. We still managed to buy the house we currently live in. I don't have much sympathy for those looking for a minimum wage increase. I tend to agree with the statements above. Those minimum wage jobs are a starting point and were never intended to support a growing family. We certainly need the people who do those jobs. They are very important but burdening the local small businesses with this increase is not the answer. I think the mayor has the right idea with an increase to $8.50-8.75.

Bill,
Clearly he is dividing entry level folks into at least two categories, those with ambition and those without.

“complaining about minimum wage are complacent.”

“These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,”

“You shouldn’t have a family of four on minimum wage, you shouldn’t be at that age being paid minimum wage,” he said “Where was your drive and your goals?”


I still fail to see any distinction or division into two groups. That may have been his intent, but neither you nor I know that from the information provided.

You are still basing your opinion on excerpts from a single interview. If you are okay bashing someone and threatening his business based on that, then that is your call. Just don't act like it's all dispassionate and considered instead of what it really is -- joining the lynch mob.

The quotes that you include are talking about the folks who have no ambition to make more than minimum wage. He is clearly making a distinction between that group and the super set of all people being paid minimum wage. There are no derogatory quotes about anyone who has ambition to work their way up. None. There would be no reason for him to make any distinctions at all if he was including everyone in his criticism.

Just curious... Do you tell you children that they should strive to work for minimum wage their whole career? I only ask because I've said similar things as Chef Varanese to my own child.

Not very long ago I was a college grad making $10 in my field. My wife made roughly the same. We still managed to buy the house we currently live in. I don't have much sympathy for those looking for a minimum wage increase. .

So you managed to buy a house on a two person income of $20 an hour? Looks like you are arguing FOR the increase, not against.

I dare say you would not have that house if you had a single income of $7.25. There's a pretty big difference. (41K/yr vs. 15K/yr, and that's assuming the best case, full time scenario that doesn't exist)

Not very long ago I was a college grad making $10 in my field. My wife made roughly the same. We still managed to buy the house we currently live in. I don't have much sympathy for those looking for a minimum wage increase. .

So you managed to buy a house on a two person income of $20 an hour? Looks like you are arguing FOR the increase, not against.

I dare say you would not have that house if you had a single income of $7.25. There's a pretty big difference. (41K/yr vs. 15K/yr, and that's assuming the best case, full time scenario that doesn't exist)

No I would not. I also don't believe everyone is entitled to own a home. I would have survived just fine renting if I was single and I would have continued to build on that wage to better my situation just like I managed to do all they way through the recession. As I said $7.25 is low. An increase to $8.50 to $8.75 that the mayor is proposing is ideal IMO.

You are still basing your opinion on excerpts from a single interview. If you are okay bashing someone and threatening his business based on that, then that is your call. Just don't act like it's all dispassionate and considered instead of what it really is -- joining the lynch mob.

Steve,
You call it a lynch mob and I call it holding John accountable for his words. I still maintain his choice of words was ill considered and disrespectful. You are free to interpret his words through your own set of filters.

You are still basing your opinion on excerpts from a single interview. If you are okay bashing someone and threatening his business based on that, then that is your call. Just don't act like it's all dispassionate and considered instead of what it really is -- joining the lynch mob.

Steve,
You call it a lynch mob and I call it holding John accountable for his words. I still maintain his choice of words was ill considered and disrespectful. You are free to interpret his words through your own set of filters.

We all have are filters Bill, and and our blinders. Some grace is called for though. There should not be threats to ruin someone's business based on a simple disagreement of opinion.

So, are you on board with boycotting his business as some here are doing? Even without knowing what quotes were left on the cutting room floor? Are you up for calling that an overreaction?

And even though it's clear to me, what if he clarifies to your satisfaction that he meant his criticism to be directed only toward the slackers? Would that change your stance at all? Is he allowed to criticize slackers? Is anyone?

We all have are filters Bill, and and our blinders. Some grace is called for though. There should not be threats to ruin someone's business based on a simple disagreement of opinion.

It's more than a simple disagreement of opinion. There were a number of others who presented in opposition to the minimum wage and did so without generating the backlash that John did. As I said in my initial post, I respect his opinion, but not his choice of words.

So, are you on board with boycotting his business as some here are doing? Even without knowing what quotes were left on the cutting room floor? Are you up for calling that an overreaction?

As I said earlier in this thread, I will not be spending my $$$ at any restaurant he owns or operates. That still stands.

And even though it's clear to me, what if he clarifies to your satisfaction that he meant his criticism to be directed only toward the slackers? Would that change your stance at all? Is he allowed to criticize slackers? Is anyone?[/quote]

I would certainly reconsider if he clarified his remarks to my satisfaction. I'd even settle for an expression of regret or an apology. In fact, he'd earn back some respect IMO, if done sincerely. FYI...there are few people who are more critical of the truly lazy (slackers) than I, but feel the question, while legitimate, strays from the point.

I'm not defending Chef Varanese. I have no comment on his comments. I'm also not trying to say I'm against the minimum wage increase. I just find these questions in my mind when I hear people talk about this issue, and they don't make sense to me. I'm sure someone on here has the answers:

If business owners all over America are such jerks and only legally have to pay anyone minimum wage, why on Earth would anybody make more than that? To deny that some people make more money based on merit is obviously ridiculous. But to deny that not everyone merits more than the minimum is now considered classist? elitist? racist? When, if one is true, the other has to be true. If A then not B, but to somehow say If B then not A is to be disgusting?

If minimum wage increase is a net good on the economy then why stop at $10? Why not $20? Why hourly wages? Why not just set the minimum US Salary at $50K a year? It seems that every time the minimum wage has been increased that the effects are minor and last for a short time, if there are effects at all. Why not get ahead of this?

Why are business owners the only one mandated by law to achieve the ends of this minimum wage issue? Passing a law that only effects a small minority in a democracy is definitely stacking the deck. Especially when it offers new moneys to a vast number of people if they just vote for it. Seems to me that if achieving a better living wage is such a net good then why doesn't the government shoulder that burden and offer a tax holiday to all those making less than $35k a year? No sales tax, nothing? Since they never do that, I always feel like something fishy is afoot.

Minimum wage in this country was created almost a century ago to solve the problem of poverty. Why do we still have poverty? What about minimum wage has failed?

Why does the government interfere with individual's right to pursue employment and contract for their own wages and labor? What about the black market of employees willing to work for less than minimum wage? Teens, under-skilled, handicapped, disadvantaged, mentally ill, the homeless. Why are they being made into criminals? Why are those willing to hire them being made into criminals and abusers?

Why do proponents of minimum wage increase lump small business owners in with large multi-national corporations? Seems to ignore the fact that minimum wage increases disproportionately effect those same small business owners and drive out competition for the large multi-national corporations thus increasing their profits, and monopoly.

I would certainly reconsider if he clarified his remarks to my satisfaction. I'd even settle for an expression of regret or an apology. In fact, he'd earn back some respect IMO, if done sincerely. FYI...there are few people who are more critical of the truly lazy (slackers) than I, but feel the question, while legitimate, strays from the point.

Actually, it is the main point. I think Chef Varanese's response is an inartful way (not everyone is good with media) of saying exactly what your position is. It's possible that some unfortunate editing may have helped lead to this being an issue at all.

Thanks for your response BTW.