

Letters: Some day, there will be true equal pay for women

12:16 AM, Apr. 8, 2013  |  Comments
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Tomorrow, April 9, is Equal Pay Day, a national day of recognition about the problem of the pay gap between men and women. (According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, this date symbolizes how far into 2013 women must work to earn what men earned in 2012.)

Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that American women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid, despite nearly 50 years of equal pay laws. Current equal pay laws need to be strengthened. Most women don't realize they're being paid less. But this can end.

We need to tell our legislators that it is time to end the pay gap by supporting legislative measures to advance equal pay. These bills should:

? Strengthen the Elliott-Larsen Act to make it clear that sex-based wage discrimination is illegal under Michigan law.

? Increase penalties for wage discrimination based on gender.

? Establish a pay equity study commission.

? Allow employees to learn what their coworkers earn so they can know if they are receiving equal pay.

Join women from around the state at noon, April 9, in the Michigan Capitol rotunda.

Sharon Lipton,
state policy advocate co-chair, National Council of Jewish Women, Waterford

Know the true heroes

The April 2 Detroit Free Press article "Baseball heroes in bronze and online" was an interesting story. However, referring to athletes as "heroes" is way out of line. These statues are of men with athletic ability -- nothing "heroic" here.

As a boy growing up during World War II, I recall no sports figures referred to as heroic. Our "heroes" were at Okinawa, Normandy, on destroyers chasing submarines in the North Atlantic or enduring boot camp at Paris Island.

Same today. Our heroes are in Afghanistan, or at home serving as police, firefighters, teachers and breadwinners trying to eke out a living for one's family.

Nothing "heroic" about some guy blasting a walk-off home run, or a rookie pitcher striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. Fine athletes! Fun to watch!

Heroes? No way!

William Gagnon

Sterling Heights

Join in Meatless Mondays

While world leaders hold many of the cards in shaping future climate change policy, we can all mitigate global warming. One simple, effective step we can take to reduce our carbon footprint is to eat less meat by participating in Meatless Mondays, and we can start on Earth Day, which happens to fall on a Monday this year (April 22).

According to the United Nations, meat production is responsible for nearly 20% of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions -- more than the entire transportation sector. It's because animal farms use up vast amounts of land, water and fossil fuels, and farm animals emit high amounts of CO {-2} and methane.

Andrea Gunn

Grosse Pointe

Welcome, Ryan Gosling

Kudos to Ryan Gosling (the talented and good-looking Hollywood star) for honoring Detroit with plans to make his movie "How to Catch a Monster." I saw Gosling in "The Notebook" and "Drive," and he showed his diverse talents. The making of his new movie will be a real asset for Detroit.

Bob Burkett


Revise the tax system

I truly believe our tax system should be overhauled to a flat tax or national sales tax system, so that people who under-report their income or work for cash as least contribute something into this great society. Please quit complaining about paying taxes. If you are paying taxes, that means you probably have a job for which to be thankful.

The dirty little secret, which most low-information voters don't realize, is that corporations don't pay taxes. If the government raises taxes on a corporation, all it does is pass that additional cost on to us consumers, thereby making the corporation another tax collector for the government.

In short, we are paying either way. It's either upfront where you can see it or it's hidden inside higher prices that we all pay for that product or service.

Moritz Cunha

St. Clair Shores

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