You are, of course, correct. And then there’s this fact; if someone is offering you the best option you have, how in the world is that exploitation? If it’s the best you can get, its the best you can get. If you are better off taking said option, regardless of how crappy that option is, your problem is not that option. Your problem is much bigger than that.
How the Pope, or Pat, can blame businesses that are giving these people a better shot than anyone else is giving them is just astonishing. With due respect to Pat and The Pope, they are just wrong about this.
In that case, it doesn't matter if they're getting paid $40/month or $40,000/month.