Not too long ago, there was a news story about a restaurant in North Fargo, where the owner was complaining about that they may have to close because they wasn’t able to get enough help.  The owner even said, “There is not enough workers.”

I got news for them, there are plenty of workers in Fargo-Moorhead.  They just got to be willing to pay them.  If businesses are not willing to pay, workers will just go somewhere else.

As I said in previous blog, North Dakota is so cheap; when birds fly, they go cheap, cheap.  The minimum wage is only $7.50/hour, the lowest in the nation.  Even Paul Harvey said before he died, North Dakota is the only state where people have to work 2-3 jobs just to make a living.

In the restaurant business, those who are waitress or waiter, gets either $7.50 or less an hour.  The owner figured that they get tips; so they don’t have to pay them more money.  Tips should not be a factor in how much they get paid per hour.  Tips are added bonus for them.  Some business prefer that you not get tips.  For example: once in awhile, I may get a tip at Kmart if I help a customer with a carry-out.  I’m not suppose to accept it; but what they don’t know won’t hurt them. That is an added bonus; so businesses shouldn’t use tips to keep from paying better wages.  Anymore than they should dictate that you shouldn’t get a tip either.

Why should workers work for less money, when they can go somewhere else for more money?  I mean, there are more and more day labor places plopping up lately.  People are choosing to work at these day labors jobs, because they get paid more an hour and they can choose to work when they want to.  I don’t see how they can make a living doing that.

I mean, I have done some works through day labor; but I only did it for extra money.  You can make a living.  Some days you get a job and some days you don’t.  Unless maybe this a way to fool the government during tax time.

I mean there is so much red tapes and hoops to jump through involving filing our taxes.  By making only so much, they can still get money back and avoid red tape.  Maybe some are on Government assistance and they only can make so much.  That is why we need to cut some of these Government programs, to get able body people working and stop smooching off the Government, the taxpayers.  I’m not saying that there aren’t people who doesn’t need help.  I’m just saying that there are people taking advantage of a good thing.

By eliminating some of these Government regulation, maybe business can pay better wages.

Today’s generation have a different perspective and work ethics.  They want more money and less hour.  They want more money for easier job.  My sister, Shirley, and I joked around once in awhile.  These young people will be taking care of us while we’re in a nursing home.  We would probably need a cane just to order them to take better care of us or else.

They want more money but they want to work when they want to.  Some of them think; since Kmart is a dying business, I should just quit and find a better high paying job.  They would!  Some of them wouldn’t even take a job for less money.

Sometimes, a person got to take the first thing that comes their way.  As Maureen Zimmerman, when she was a co-anchor on WDAY news, said to me when I was a teenager, “You just need to get your foot in the door.”  In other words take what you can get, get your experience, and work your up the ladder.

I remember years ago, I was hired by 2 restaurant, one was Randy’s and the other was the Viking’s Room in the old Holiday Mall.  Randy’s paid more an hour but at the Viking’s Room, I got more hour.  So what do you think was the better offer?  Even Randy’s paid more per hour, I got paid more at the Viking’s Room.  Getting paid more an hour doesn’t necessary mean more money.  They could pay more but they could make sure that they don’t give you enough hour.  So what good is that?

Today’s generation probably wouldn’t see it that way.

I put in 8 years at Fargo Country Club, and when I was finally offer a better paying job working at Concordia College.  Believe me, I took that job offer.  So you have to be willing to get your foot in the door by taking a job with less money until you can work your way up.

That doesn’t give businesses the license not to pay better wages to their employees, and offer decent benefits to them as well.

There are places that are very good to work for in Fargo-Moorhead, but they are hard to come by.  The reason, the turnout is very low.  When an employee is paid good, getting decent benefits, and treated well by management, they are going to stick it out.  When you have low pay, no benefits, and poor managements, you can’t keep help.  Don’s Car wash and Cash Wise are example of that.  They are always looking for help.  Even when Kmart had a bad manager not to long ago, they lost a lot of help and it was very hard to get help.

First of all, for those looking for a job, take what you can get until something better comes your way.

To the business owner, if you want people to work for you, you have to pay them more money, give them decent benefits, and treat them well.

There are business learning that.  Some of these fast food joints are willing to pay more an hour.

To those who say that I should jump ship and quit Kmart before they do end up closing, I say to them.  “I’m too young to retire but too old to move on.  I have never been out of a job for very long.  I have always found another job.  Besides, I still got my job at the Fargo Dome that I truly enjoy.  I’m now writing blogs for the internet, and I hope someday to get paid for these blogs.  So I’m not worried as some would be.”