A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, July 8, 2015 Overtime rule promises more than it will deliver T he president wants to change the rules on when workers are eligible IRURYHUWLPHSD\$QGDV with attempts to increase the minimum wage, he wrongly assumes that government can increase worker income by fiat where there is no corresponding increase in economic RXWSXW The Fair Labor Standards Act mandates that hourly wage earners be paid time-and-a- half when they work more than 40 hours in a regular work ZHHN7KHDFWH[HPSWVVDODULHG and some hourly workers — managers, executives, administrative staff and professionals — from receiving overtime if they meet narrowly defined criteria and are paid at OHDVWDZHHN 7KDW¶VD\HDU The criteria, including the wage levels, are set by 'HSDUWPHQWRI/DERUUHJXODWLRQV The president wants to increase the minimum salary to $970 per ZHHNRU The president also proposes mechanisms that would increase that minimum automatically over WLPH The administration said DVPDQ\DVPLOOLRQ86 workers will become eligible for overtime under the rule, and will collectively receive more than ELOOLRQLQH[WUD HDUQLQJV “It’s one of the single most important steps we can take to help grow middle-class wages,” WKHSUHVLGHQWVDLG A lobster in every pot, and a XQLFRUQLQHYHU\JDUDJH:KLOH it makes a great headline, unless the president is writing checks he can’t guarantee anyone a pay UDLVH The operative word in all of WKLVLV³HOLJLEOH´ Though many politicians would have us believe otherwise, businesses don’t have a magic pot of money that fills up to PHHWQHZJRYHUQPHQWPDQGDWHV And they don’t employ people as part of a social welfare scheme, but to accomplish work that contributes to the profitability of WKHEXVLQHVV Aren’t there some employers who take advantage and classify workers as “exempt” just to cheat them out of overtime? Yes, XQIRUWXQDWHO\WKHUHDUH%XW most employers are fair, and try to offer pay competitive in the local market commensurate with WKHGXWLHVSHUIRUPHG This mandate raises no new revenue, delivers no new customers, produces no DGGLWLRQDOJRRGVRUVHUYLFHV6R rather than get a pay increase, most workers will probably see their base wage fall so that HYHU\WKLQJUHPDLQVHTXDO The assistant manager working 50 hours now and making $35,000 as a salaried employee will still work 50 hours and make $35,000 as an KRXUO\HPSOR\HH And if it did the math on its own figures, the administration NQRZVWKLV7KDWELOOLRQ in extra wages averages out to SHUQHZHOLJLEOHZRUNHU Hardly the stuff that middle class GUHDPVDUHPDGHRI All Americans could use PRUHPRQH\LQWKHLUSD\FKHFN But most Americans are smart enough to know that won’t happen unless there’s more PRQH\FRPLQJLQWRWKHEXVLQHVV Too bad the president and his DGYLVHUVKDYHQ¶WILJXUHGWKDWRXW F ARMER ’ S F ATE Singing the summer diet duet, down on the farm By Brianna Walker To the Blue Mountain Eagle ,W¶VVXPPHUWLPH$QGWKDWPHDQV IDUPLQJLVLQIXOOVZLQJ,UULJDWLRQLV running, the equipment is running at high gear, the animals are heading out to summer pasture, and every- where you turn you see itty bitty, WHHQ\ZHHQ\OLWWOHSRONDGRWELNLQLV That’s right, it’s swimsuit sea- VRQ Not wanting to miss out on the pain of swimsuit shopping, I found a black and white polka dot one I OLNHGDQGZHQWWRWU\LWRQ,TXLFNO\ realized my caloric intake outnum- EHUHGWKHSRONDGRWV*XHVVLW¶VWLPH for a little spring cleaning … start- LQJZLWKWKHUHIULJHUDWRU My husband came home just as ,ZDVVWDUWLQJWKHFOHDQLQJSURFHVV “The horror,” his face seemed to FU\$QGWKDWEHJDQRXUVSULQJGLHW GLDORJXH 0H :H¶UH RYHUZHLJKW +LP:H¶UHXQGHUWDOO 0H1RWKLQJZURQJZLWKH[HUFLVH C ORRECTIONS Applause for 1862 Celebration To the Editor: I applaud the people of Canyon *UDQW&RXQW\+HDOWK)DLURUJDQL]HU&KULV