With wages, only a handful getting richer

With wages, only a handful getting richer

This Orlando Sentinel article makes me burn red in anger about the state of the economy in Orlando, and how it should in theory, be better for us, but instead perpetuates a circle of badness that is hard to break away from.

And after making this discovery, still nothing is really being done about this? While businesses that rely on tourism continue to grow, what about wages for the people that they rely on to make it happen? It's sad that while Florida state minimum has risen to uh.... $7.79, many people in the tourist industry, unless they have been at their jobs for ages, are barely making much more than that. So, how does exploiting the labor force with low wages help the economy grow and improve the lives of those it supports? I myself, at times, feel like a victim of slave labor, though my co-workers and I are constantly reminded we do actually have it better than the lot that work for our competitors. Seeing our insurance premiums rise, our wage increases decline, and a bunch of 'incentives' that really don't do anything but benefit the company by lowering their costs of hiring, don't really help us. It creates a nasty cycle of exploitation and dependance.

Yes, we can continue to focus on the good.  But we must continue to focus on what we can do to make it better for everyone that lives and works here.  Especially those who make their living off of tourism.

Yes I can leave.  I'm young and healthy enough to do that.  In fact, I outlined my escape plan in an earlier blog post, and those plans are very much in play right now.  But why should I?  Other than the stupidisms that make working for these people and serving stupid tourists unbearable at times, it's actually a fun job.  However, the fringe benefits don't outweigh the negatives. 

If the negatives weren't so negative, I'd continue working there until I die.