Progressives are referring to today as "Equal Pay Day," in an effort to bring attention to the pay gap between men and women in this country, and to hopefully prompt more people to get involved, contact their local congresspeople, and bring an end to gender pay discrimination.
So how have conservatives responded to this call to action? By basically calling the gender pay gap "a myth."
Executive director of the conservative Independent Women's Forum - Sabrina Schaeffer - said this regarding the issue: "Perpetuating the myth that women are a victim class harms women and makes them feel weak."
She also added this:
"The president, Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists use this faux holiday to convince women they are routinely suffering massive wage discrimination. [That's like] comparing apples to oranges."
Texas Governor Rick Perry referred to the matter as "misleading," "nonsense," and a distraction from "substantive" issues.
Republican consultant Katie Packer has also referred to it as a "distraction."
I'm sorry to burst conservatives' bubble with numbers - you know, facts - but the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that full-time working women make approximately 77 cents for every dollar that men make, and even if variables such as college major, job industry, and education level are controlled, women still make 7 cents less than men.
Also, recent analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families reported the following:
"If full-time working women in Ohio were paid as much as men, they could afford nine more months of mortgage and utility payments. The average woman in Louisiana could afford 21 more months of rent, or two and a half years' worth of food for her family, if she earned the average male salary."
No matter what Congressional Republicans and conservative talking heads want to believe, the gender pay gap is anything but a myth, and if they want to get the "War on Women" label off their back, they'd be wise to warm up to the idea of supporting equal pay for women. I won't be holding my breath on the matter, though...
GOPers:
"Homosexuality is a choice!"
"Climate change is a hoax!"
"Racism is over!"
"The gender pay gap is a myth!"
"Trickle-down economics works for everyone!"
Ah, how I wonder what it's like to have a permanent vacation in never-never land...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/07/republicans-equal-pay_n_5106329.html
So how have conservatives responded to this call to action? By basically calling the gender pay gap "a myth."
Executive director of the conservative Independent Women's Forum - Sabrina Schaeffer - said this regarding the issue: "Perpetuating the myth that women are a victim class harms women and makes them feel weak."
She also added this:
"The president, Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists use this faux holiday to convince women they are routinely suffering massive wage discrimination. [That's like] comparing apples to oranges."
Texas Governor Rick Perry referred to the matter as "misleading," "nonsense," and a distraction from "substantive" issues.
Republican consultant Katie Packer has also referred to it as a "distraction."
I'm sorry to burst conservatives' bubble with numbers - you know, facts - but the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that full-time working women make approximately 77 cents for every dollar that men make, and even if variables such as college major, job industry, and education level are controlled, women still make 7 cents less than men.
Also, recent analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families reported the following:
"If full-time working women in Ohio were paid as much as men, they could afford nine more months of mortgage and utility payments. The average woman in Louisiana could afford 21 more months of rent, or two and a half years' worth of food for her family, if she earned the average male salary."
No matter what Congressional Republicans and conservative talking heads want to believe, the gender pay gap is anything but a myth, and if they want to get the "War on Women" label off their back, they'd be wise to warm up to the idea of supporting equal pay for women. I won't be holding my breath on the matter, though...
GOPers:
"Homosexuality is a choice!"
"Climate change is a hoax!"
"Racism is over!"
"The gender pay gap is a myth!"
"Trickle-down economics works for everyone!"
Ah, how I wonder what it's like to have a permanent vacation in never-never land...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/07/republicans-equal-pay_n_5106329.html
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