A tip for

restaurant workers

Recently, one of the bill amendments for which I voted would have affected the wages of tipped workers.

Having received some undeserved criticism, I would like to clear up a few misconceptions.

The passage of Proposition B increased the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour with yearly indexed increases; the current level is $6.65.

But voters in no way voted to increase the cash wage of tipped employees, which were included only after the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations issued an opinion that the minimum cash hourly wage for tipped workers would remain at $2.13, and Gov. Blunt reversed that original conclusion of his own department and changed the minimum to one-half the hourly wage of $6.65, or $3.325.

Then, the Missouri Restaurant Association sued, but a Cole County court dismissed the case on a technicality — thus the level remains at $3.325. When Congress addressed the issue last year, they left the hourly tipped server cash wage at $2.13, knowing that tipped servers are compensated at a rate far above the hourly minimum, typically exceeding $12 per hour.

The amendment I supported would have done two things. First, it would have fixed the problem Proposition B caused with regard to the overtime pay for public employees and commissioned sales employees. It is true that a court addressed the issue of public employees, but it did not address the problem of commissioned sales personnel — the amendment would have. Putting the public employee fix in statute also would have ensured that problem could not be brought back by a higher court’s reversal.

Second, the amendment clarified that the minimum tipped server cash wage would be the federal rate (now $2.13), with a guarantee that the employer would compensate a tipped server at least the hourly minimum (now $6.65) if tips plus the $2.13 were less; thus the amendment would have ensured that tipped employees would always make at least the hourly minimum during slow business hours.

Again, Missouri voters did not vote to change the wage rate for tipped workers, nor did the General Assembly, but only two individuals, Gov. Blunt and a judge, raised the cost on Missouri restaurants by half, and that is wrong. Given that tipped servers are the highest-paid employees in the restaurant, the net effect of the increase is that those highest paid received a raise at the expense of the lowest paid, the cooks and dishwashers. Those who ultimately have to pay the increased cost are the customers, you and me.

As are many businesses, the restaurant industry is facing cost increases that will test their survivability, and according to the Missouri Restaurant Association, many well-established restaurants have been forced to close in the past year, in part due to the increased wages paid to tipped servers. Closed restaurants do not employ any servers.

When I was a busboy and then dishwasher at Denny’s, working my way through Missouri Western, I never received a tip, and my experience there confirms what I have said above about the pay of restaurant workers. During medical school, I first met my wife, Debbie, when she waited on me at the Ground Round — she agrees with my position, too.

Now, after six years in the Missouri House, I know that bills are often more complicated than they appear on the surface — I also know that the truth will deflect partisan criticism. I hope the readers will see the truth in what I have said here.

Rob Schaaf

State Representative, District 28

Praise for the incubator

Missouri Western State University now proudly sports the title of an official “innovation center.” That’s important. The state has only certified 10 of these so-called think tanks.

Our incubator already is in line to receive a proposed $100,000 that will be used for operational costs. The Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) awards the designation. It awards the center with funding support from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

This is great news for Gary Clapp, president and CEO of Western’s Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Dr. Clapp is this town’s No. 1 cheerleader for the potential for life sciences to transform this community. I am his No. 1 disciple.

I was glad to see Dr. Clapp single out state Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, and state Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, for working overtime to help win this important designation for Western. I know firsthand that Ed called me (in my last job) looking for support for the innovation center.

It is equally disturbing that the official elected to represent Western in the Missouri House, my opponent in November, is unofficially reported as AWOL (absent without leave) in this important battle. He apparently takes great pride in focusing his efforts in Jeff City on medical issues.

I will take great pride in representing the whole district, whether it is Western, our fine schools, and, yes, the farmers.

Mark Sheehan,

candidate for State Representative, District 28

St. Joseph

Searching for peace

Our wars with Iraq and Afghanistan are grossly wrong. The only thing good about this is the death of Saddam Hussein. We should have pulled out after that. We are trying to change these countries’ governments, which were fine before we got involved. Now, in Iraq, there is so much strife between Shiites and Sunni Muslims. This strife is very serious. Before we tried to change the way they ran their governments, the Sunni and Shiite Muslims got along pretty good. We have lost more than 2,000 troops. The Iraqis have lost more than 20,000 citizens. Figure the math. Although they don’t resent it, I would. As for the Taliban, they are only trying to instill the tenets of the Quran. Trying to annihilate that is not right. We should keep our ways of living to ourselves. Let Iraq and Afghanistan alone, and time, work and effort shall come around in its own time.

As for the Palestinians, they have a right to be angry. Their land in Israel was taken by the Jewish in 1948. They had to live in tents. Now that Israel has granted them plots in the West Bank in Gaza, they are turned away by Israeli soldiers and police. They can’t even work for food. Who is keeping them fed? They have a right to be angry. Israel, break down this barrier, then peace will resume.

Sean Easley

St. Joseph