# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 494
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9861 "2013-06-20T13:33:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > What is it with this GOP fantasy that everyone but the business owner is making out like a bandit? It’s like actually getting paid for your labor is theft or something. Even stranger is that they object to\* other\* people giving the waiter money. It’s not even coming out of the restaurant owner’s pockets. It’s like they can’t stand the thought of someone other than themselves making a living. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9862 "2013-06-20T13:38:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Speaking of Bachmann, have you met the guy running as her GOP successor? [Meet Tom Emmer](http://www.care2.com/causes/meet-tom-emmer-the-next-michele-bachmann.html). He’s a winner all around but my favorite bit is his view that waiters can earn over $100K on tips Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9863 "2013-06-20T13:44:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? > > My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. The vast majority of waiters don’t make that kind of coin but Emmer want’s them punished also. I would guess your stepson works at a very high end place so naturally the tips will be higher. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9864 "2013-06-20T13:49:57Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? > > My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. What restaurant? There are waiters that make this much money, typically at either very posh establishments that charge $50/plate or at very popular bars. This is far from common and only a very small percentage makes this kind of money. Regarding the problem, he is trying to stir outrage in the same way the occupiers do when they talk about CEOs making 10000 times more than their average employee. If that is correct, surely you don’t have a problem with them always bringing it up, right? Personally, I don’t have a problem with either, but I do get my outrage stirred a bit more by the CEO than by the fact that their are waiters that make more than me even though I spent 8 years of my life in college. The marketing people piss me off more FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9865 "2013-06-20T13:55:21Z")
[Former Miss America](http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/former-miss-america-called-street-walker-local-gop-001954765.html) called “street walker” by local GOP leader > [@](#): > > Erika Harold, the 2003 winner of the Miss America contest, announced two weeks ago that she was running from Illinois’ 13th District. Her decision to challenge Rep. Rodney Davis in the Republican primary has divided some local party members and prompted the name-calling. Read that again. This is a REPUBLICAN challenging another Republican, not a Democratic candidate. If they are this hostile to women in their own party, no wonder they’re for more rape babies in everyone else ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9866 "2013-06-20T15:26:14Z")
They didn’t say she _was_ a street walker, only that she was _like_ a street walker! When you say something is _like_ something, that’s a smilie. Learned that in eighth grade, longest three years of my life! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9867 "2013-06-20T15:40:00Z")
She’s black and she’s female, so the reprehensible behaviour of some of her fellow republicans is to be expected. Sad to say, but what stands out most against her is her wanting to be a republican, given the ongoing racism and misogyny frequently exhibited by so many republican politicians. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9868 "2013-06-20T15:58:03Z")
[http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa](http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa) She’s “black”? _That’s_ black? Well, OK, I guess. I reckon I don’t really have to understand, which is good, because sure as hell I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9869 "2013-06-20T16:09:52Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? > > My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. Does he make more than the owner of the restaurant where he works? That was the implication of Emmer’s statement. If so then I don’t anticipate that restaurant will be around much longer. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9870 "2013-06-20T16:13:40Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa](http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa) > > She’s “black”? _That’s_ black? Well, OK, I guess. I reckon I don’t really have to understand, which is good, because sure as hell I don’t. There’s some kind of rule about it…one-stop? One-crop? Can’t remember exactly… ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9871 "2013-06-20T16:23:54Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They didn’t say she _was_ a street walker, only that she was _like_ a street walker! When you say something is _like_ something, that’s a smilie. Learned that in eighth grade, longest three years of my life! To be fair, he said she was “being used like a street walker” by the Dems and RINOs. This guy seems like a real dick, and the comment was stupid, but I think it is a little misleading to just say _he called her a streetwalker_. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9872 "2013-06-20T16:27:48Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’ve lost track of all the Rick Perry stories. Have we done this one? > > [Governor Perry Signs Bill Allowing Teachers and Students to Say “Merry Christmas”](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/06/governor_perry_signs_merry_chr.php) > > What a courageous move to sign a bill legalizing something that’s been legal since the First Amendment was ratified. The man’s a real hero. I saw another story on this law that contained this gem: "During the last Sunday of the legislative session on May 26, Rep. Donna Howard, an Austin Democrat, gave the Texas House’s daily prayer. ‘We are fortunate to live in a country where we have the freedom to exercise the religion of our choosing while also being free from having any religion imposed upon us,’ said Howard, herself a Unitarian Universalist. Her words prompted some conservative lawmakers to hold their own, separate prayer session moments later." Because, you know, Democrat prayers just piss god off. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9873 "2013-06-20T16:32:34Z")
Jesus. I would have thought the local GOP would be thrilled to have a candidate this qualified (though amusingly her law firm bio doesn’t mention the Miss USA bit): > [@](#): > > Erika Harold is an associate attorney with the firm. Erika has broad experience representing clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters, including civil RICO, class action, fraud, and breach of contract disputes. Additionally, she advises religious institutions in matters involving First Amendment protections. She has also been active in pro bono efforts, helping to represent a man on death row in post-conviction proceedings, and teaching Chicago Public School students about the U.S. legal system as part of the “Lawyers in the Classroom” program. Additionally, Ms. Harold coached a team of high school students in the City-Wide Mock Trial Competition, sponsored by the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education. She also helped edit a chapter entitled “Closing Argument” for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s 2009 treatise Illinois Civil Practice: Trying the Case. > > Ms. Harold is licensed to practice law in Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to joining Meyer Capel, she practiced law in Chicago in the general litigation groups at Sidley Austin LLP and Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella. > > Ms. Harold received her A.B. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was designated a Chancellor’s Scholar. In 2007, she received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she won a Boykin C. Wright Memorial Award for her appellate advocacy and won Best Brief in the Harvard Ames Moot Court semi-final and final rounds of competition. She attended Urbana High School in Urbana, Illinois where she was born and raised. > > Ms. Harold also devotes time to various civic and philanthropic endeavors. She is a nationally recognized advocate of bullying prevention efforts, delivering presentations to community leaders and students about the most effective methods of combating peer-to-peer harassment. In recognition of her advocacy, Ms. Harold was named one of Fight Crime, Invest in Kids “Champions for Children” and received a leadership award from the National Center for Victims of Crime. Additionally, Ms. Harold serves on the board of directors of Prison Fellowship, the world’s largest outreach to prisoners and their families. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9874 "2013-06-20T16:34:07Z")
Well, technically, Unitarians are Christians, they just start their prayers with “To Whom It May Concern”. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9875 "2013-06-20T16:40:53Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa](http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/illinois-gop-pol-calls-black-female-candidate-street?ref=fpa) > > She’s “black”? _That’s_ black? Well, OK, I guess. I reckon I don’t really have to understand, which is good, because sure as hell I don’t. When we say “black” in America we don’t always necessarily mean just stepped out of the bush. That particular picture makes her look pretty European, but there are others like this one where it’s more obvious she has black ancestry: [http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RNW\_Erika-Harold\_v3.jpg](http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RNW_Erika-Harold_v3.jpg) [http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/2013/June/130604/tdy-130606-erika-harold-2.jpg](http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/2013/June/130604/tdy-130606-erika-harold-2.jpg) Obviously she is mixed (like all decendants of slaves are to varying degree), and black. Black people come in a wide variety of shades. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9876 "2013-06-20T16:51:28Z")
I actually think her Greek is showing a lot more in that second photo. She is a mix of African-American, Native American (both from her mother), Greek, German and Welsh (all from her father). ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9877 "2013-06-20T17:19:58Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? > > My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. The problem is that you’re apparently willing to look at one data point at the far, far right of the bell curve and assume it applies to everyone. Which, I don’t know, maybe explains the pathology of your postings. [But here’s the point.](http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/07/emmers-minimum-wage-fallout-who-makes-100000-waiter-or-bartender) Emmer’s point is apparently that minimum wage is too expensive for restauranteurs to pay. But minimum wage is about $19K/year. So if a waiter is making $80K/year in (let’s generously assume) 20% tips, then the restaurant is hauling in $400K/waiter. I think most businesses would be \* delighted \* to bring in $380K/worker after wages. Even if you assume an overhead of 100%, that still means $360K/worker. Conversely, if business is so crappy that you can’t even afford $19K/year in salary, then what kind of tips are your servers bringing home? Not enough to get by on, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9878 "2013-06-20T18:04:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Jesus. I would have thought the local GOP would be thrilled to have a candidate this qualified (though amusingly her law firm bio doesn’t mention the Miss USA bit): I hope this pushes her to become a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9879 "2013-06-20T20:28:32Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I hope this pushes her to become a Democrat. One can hope. But if she’s gone through the 2000’s to date and not seen the light, it’s unlikely she will at just one more insult. “Shitcago” won’t win a lot of friends upstate. ---
**Author:** ![irae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f0a364/32.png) [@irae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irae)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9880 "2013-06-20T20:43:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since he’s correct, what’s the problem? > > My stepson is a waiter. He’s one of the newest on staff in the restaurant and last year he knocked back just over $75k. The guys that have been there a while and who have a steady clientele all make $100k or so. Some of them have refused a promotion to manager because it would mean too big a cut in pay. Most waiters are forced by local regulations to work fully clothed, and don’t have the opportunity to groom the kind of steady clientele to which you refer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=493) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=495)