Miers: All Differences in Pay for Men and Women Must Be Eliminated [Indoctrinated by Feminists?]

Fox News | governsleast governsbest

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Fox News just aired an item on Harriet Miers' record that should be troubling to conservatives.

They unearthed a speech she had made on Law Day - I believe the stated date was 1997.

Miers expressed her support for "equal pay for equal work" among men and women, then added this [paraphrasing]:

"We have made progress in this area, but must continue the fight until all differences in equal pay between men and women are eliminated."

As has been documented often, the "equal pay" complaint is essentially a red herring. When qualifications, time at work, time away from work for child-rearing, etc., are taken into account, pay differences between men and women are virtually non-existent.

For Miers to have bought into the feminist tripe on this matter, and to have expressed herself recently on it [if I'm correct that the date was 1997], is troubling.

[brivette]

This is indeed troubling.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I'm taking the liberty of making a Miers equal-pay-ping to the Today Show ping list.

[Parmenio]

This is very disturbing. Her deep involvement in the ABA makes me very suspicious of her commitment to the "rule of law" (as contrasted with "rule by judges".

[sten]

sure.. no problem...

now when do I get my 12 weeks of paid leave every 2 years?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Here's a link to a good column by Linda Chavez that debunks the equal pay myth:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/chavez040699.asp

[colorcountry]

This is bad because....?

My mother worked as a manager for an Auto-parts store in 1967. By default she became a manager after every man she worked for or trained were fired for mis-management or theft. She received $2.67 an hour. Her MALE underlings made $3.65 because they were male.

Now I realize we've come a long way, but, I agree with Harriet. Every vestige of this kind of inequlity needs to be erradicated.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

now when do I get my 12 weeks of paid leave every 2 years?

The sooner of:

1. Your relocation to France; or

2. The inauguration of President Hillary Rodham Clinton. ;-)

[Gay State Conservative]

There's nothing wrong with this attitude as long as it doesn't also involve the attitude that "an hour of a waitress's time is of equal value to an hour of a brain surgeon's time.

[Paloma_55]

As a staunch conservative, I believe that women who perform the same work should get the same pay. How does that get enforced though?

Did Harriet Miers say that as a justice, she would mandate from the bench? Or was she saying that the legislature should address that issue?

The term has a naturally devisive interpretation, but depending on the implmentation of such a policy it could be good or bad.

If I hire two people to do a job, and both do the exact same job, why should I pay one more/less than the other based on gender?

Do I want the government telling me that all women must be paid the same as all men? No. Do I want the government telling me I must hire a woman for every man I employ? No. But I don't see anything on these questions beind suggested by Harriet Miers.

[gridlock]

I have a hard time thinking anybody who could peddle this myth with a straight face has anything on the ball. Could Miers really be that stupid? Or was it all political pandering? Does it matter?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As mentioned, upon analysis, when all relevant factors are taken into account, there is virtually no pay gap.

Yet radical feminists push the theory, and propose solving the "problem" with socialist, central-planning solutions in which government boards would rule on what jobs are equal, what pay levels should be, etc.

[Parmenio]

colorcountry, the type of pay discrimination you describe is completely illegal, and has been for many years. What Miers, the ABA, and the Democrats want is equivalent pay, where the government mandates that similar jobs (such as that for a vet and a doctor and a dentist and chiropractor) all get the same pay. It is a step toward socialism.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As you know, radical feminists propose solving the "problem" with socialistic, central-planning solutions in which government boards would rule on what jobs are equal, what pay levels should be, etc.

I'm not saying that Miers buys into those solutions, but I really would like to know what she had in mind when she talked about the need to fight for equal pay.

In my mind, to the extent there is unequal pay, and the data suggests it's a virtually non-existent phenomenon, I would leave it to the market to solve. Underpaid women will be an attractive hiring source for smart employers who will hire them away with better wages.

[Gay State Conservative]

Now I realize we've come a long way, but, I agree with Harriet. Every vestige of this kind of inequality needs to be eradicated

I'm inclined to agree.But a lot of what I've read on the "equal pay" issue insists on comparing apples to oranges.Check it out and you'll see what I mean.

[Logical me]

"colorcountry, the type of pay discrimination you describe is completely illegal, and has been for many years. What Miers, the ABA, and the Democrats want is equivalent pay, where the government mandates that similar jobs (such as that for a vet and a doctor and a dentist and chiropractor) all get the same pay. It is a step toward socialism."

Finally someone posted it right. Good post.

[freespirited]

Now I realize we've come a long way, but, I agree with Harriet. Every vestige of this kind of inequlity needs to be erradicated. My mother worked as a manager for an Auto-parts store in 1967. By default she became a manager after every man she worked for or trained were fired for mis-management or theft. She received $2.67 an hour. Her MALE underlings made $3.65 because they were male.

It's doubtful you could find an example like that anymore; the employer would be sued in a heartbeat.

She is talking about the "pay gap" that feminists trot out all the time. It's explained by differences in qualifications, experience, and hours worked. She has bought into feminist propaganda and that is worrisome. Since it has been debunked many times, you have to wonder if she is some kind of ideologue.

[thoughtomator]

In the present day, the inequality is in favor of women, not against them. Women gain a disproportionate number of college admittances and at equivalent experience/education levels make more than a similarly-situated man.

It's time we stop making rules that would have been more appropriate in 1965 than in 2005.

[Williams]

Why can't I assume she was comparing apples and apples? If we as conservatives can't agree with the simple concept of equal pay for equal work, then we don't deserve to rule. All that is happening here is that some conservatives are turning their political bias against a fellow conservative, and it makes me sick to watch.

My wife is a teacher and a damn good one. They can have 30 female teachers in the building, and if they hire one lame brained male gym teacher they immediately start planning on making him principal. This is a well known bias in education because they think a man is needed to control the kids. Ever notice that Home Depot now has women in the aisles and as managers, not just at the checkout? That wasn't true until a class action lawsuit settlement. And teh women are just fine at it. Let's not pretend our society is perfect.

[aft_lizard]

I see nothing troubling here, except you didnt transcribe enough for us to make a definate decision one way or the other.

If she meant it as a legal solution problem, if she meant it as a legislative solution no problem.