Newt Owns Juan Williams
My thought when looking at the debate and the comment within it is that Newt is 100% correct. People make it sound like having some sort of early job experience is beneath them and perhaps it is in the elite circles but for the rest of us, getting that money early, experiencing the pride and learning associated with getting it and finally just having an opportunity is important.
My first job was as a dishwasher and bussing tables at a local restaurant. I was paid $3.15 an hour. I remember getting my first paycheck after two week and it was $60, of course $45 or so after taxes. I thought to myself that if I worked for two more of these paychecks, I could afford something pretty expensive that I wanted.
The second thought that rolled through my head was "Dummy, this is $45 more in your hand than you've ever held in it before and all you can think about is how to spend three times more than that?!?"
It showed my right then that you can always think of ways to spend more than you earn. It was a great first lesson and I've applied it my entire life. I've applied it when busting out tile, digging out holes, delivering pizza, changing bedpans or being a "cast member" at Disneyland.
Even before that, I can remember having my BMX bike and having gone off a rather massive jump that resulted in me landing and bending my one piece cranks. I marched off with the family lawn mower looking for a way to earn the $15 to buy another crank. After spending the better part of two whole days on a neighbor's yard, I learned how to estimate my time and the value of it a bit better and I also earned the money for the new cranks.
You could say isn't this a common experience? It used to be but work place regulations and costs have become so complicated and risen so high that what used to be entry level jobs are now adult only jobs. Kids don't have paper routes as many of my friends did growing up (where they also were expected to collect and return the money and work even in inclimate weather.) Now those routes are taken by adults in cars. Fast food restaurants higher fewer people and have more machines because they are often required to pay around $10 an hour in many states.
Newt is dead on with this.
