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NCFM member Mark Lesmeister letter to Houston Chronicle dispells propaganda about the wage gap

April 25, 2012
By

Workforce choices… the wage gap

Copyright 2012: Houston Chronicle

Updated 06:52 p.m., Thursday, April 19, 2012

Regarding “Hard work” (Page B11, Monday), the claim that women “whatever their job, on average … receive just 77 cents for each dollar paid their male coworkers” is simply untrue. Studies finding such large discrepancies are not comparing the same jobs, with the same experience, hours and working conditions.

This brings up a larger point: Why is it that even today men and women are very often not doing the same job?

Here’s a hint: We still expect men to do the most dangerous work. In fact, as a general rule, the more dangerous the profession, the larger the proportion of men in it.

Another hint: Surveys of women show that many women are reluctant to even date a man who makes less money than they do.

Additionally, men who work in the home or with children face discrimination, hostility and suspicion. I speak from personal experience here.

How many men realistically have the same choice that many women consider to be their birthright, namely, the choice of whether to work outside the home or work at home?

I have a radical idea: If we have to fight the “mommy wars” again, this time let’s at least get input from the other half of the human race about the choices they would like to have.

Mark J. Lesmeister, Pearland

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16 Responses to NCFM member Mark Lesmeister letter to Houston Chronicle dispells propaganda about the wage gap

  1. Cat on February 20, 2017 at 10:21 AM

    This is deeply offensive.

  2. Shrey on November 1, 2016 at 7:35 PM

    Their is a mistake on UT quest

  3. Stewdant on August 24, 2016 at 1:26 PM

    Can I correct my physics test?

  4. Shrey on January 19, 2016 at 9:42 AM

    Whens the physics HW due

  5. Scrubles on June 15, 2012 at 1:36 PM

    do you have the links to any unbiased wage gap studies? i know they exist, i want to show them to another person who believes in that .77 per dollar garbage

  6. Alex on May 31, 2012 at 6:06 AM

    To make it clear : the asumption "men earn more for equal job than women" is irrelevant.

    First, unbiased statistics have shown the truth. (not like the feminist statistics, totally biased…)

    Second, managers/entrepreneurs/corporates/stockholders… they all want profits! so if women could do the same job as a man for a lower wage, they, indeed, would hire only women!

    but they don't, which brings me to my third point: In europe, quotas are the rule everywhere. you MUST hire women before men! any board of direction MUST be 50% female for 2014… european parliament MUST be 50% female for 2015(17)… WHY do they need quotas to get women hired????? what's behind that? Is it so hard to find women doing the same job as men for the same salary??? tell the truth!!! That does not make sense!

  7. Moonpie Nobot on May 16, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    How about a link to the studies you mention. Claiming "their studies" are false, while not supply links to yours or theirs is poor writing. Also, If you want to be a stay at home dad, just do it. I have. It's 2012, wake up!

  8. Fred Sottile on May 5, 2012 at 1:00 PM

    If there is currently a place in America where men and women were paid differently, that place would be sued right off the planet. There is no wage gap in America. That is not my opinion. It is a fact. If there is such a place, tell me where it is and I will be happy to sue, and win the easy lawsuit myself. Show me such a place. I dare you.

  9. sonofptolemy on April 29, 2012 at 12:53 PM

    The fact is women under 30 earn more $$/hr than her male counterpart. Yes if you take statistics that lump old people in it whom are people that are either from the dawn of the feminist movement or pre-feminist movement then ya you will see a wage gap because these old people tend to act more traditional where the women made very feminine choices in their lives (staying home, raising a family, retiring with hubby). It skews the numbers and Feminists take advantage of it knowing full well their numbers are bogus.

  10. Mad Dog Mike38321 on April 26, 2012 at 11:07 PM

    women want to get paid the same as men, but they don't want to actually do the same work. these same women will go into a bar or on a date and become outraged if the man doesn't want to pay her way, even if she earns more than he does.

    • Elle on April 28, 2012 at 12:53 PM

      sweeping generalisation. I do the work same as the men at my workplace- if they do more, they get paid more. Fair as, but something's I can't do because I am physically not strong enough or tall enough, it's not that I don't want to it's because I can't.
      And I do not expect a guy to pay, i'll stand my round and go dutch- why should he pay when I'm the one drinking it. If you want to challenge women's stereotypes of men don't get caught in the same trap by labelling all women as heartless whores.
      But Mr. Lesmeister has a point, you get these statistics drummed into your head that life isn't fair for women but you never get the other half of the story- this website has made me think differently. Thank you.

      • Marcos F.A. on April 28, 2012 at 7:14 PM

        Of course generalisation are bad and every, every, every woman is not this way as always there is a exception. But you must be aware that you're one of this rare exception, as hints the statistics (men in more dangerous job, women dislike poorer men).

        As Mad Dog said the same woman who wants get paid the same is the same woman who don't want pay for her drinks. You, as an example, just show us that woman who understand the wage gap also understands the importance to pay her own bill since their are fair people 🙂

      • Mad Dog Mike38321 on May 4, 2012 at 9:15 PM

        Elle I am speaking from my own personal experience, and what I have been taught all of my life. When I worked in the textile mill back in 1987 I had the hardest jobs in the whole plant. I had to work for six female inspectors all of them made at least two dollars an hour more than me, but I had to do all of the heavy lifting and the hard work. This job was so hard that one day they had to put three men with me and we were all still worn out. They asked me how the hell I was still standing at the end of the day. The six women that had the easy job making my life a living hell never even broke a sweat. As matter of fact they took great delight in making my life miserable. And yes they expected men to pay their way. They would also make a point of letting me and all of the men there know that they only dated men that made more money than they did.
        All I am trying to say is I see this wage gap myth for what it is, a MYTH. I have seen and worked with plenty of women that made more money than all of the men on the job.

  11. Kyle on April 26, 2012 at 12:53 PM

    Straight-to-the point and irrefutable from first word to last. Thank you, Mr. Lesmeister. I'd dearly love to hear some feminist or feminist lackey mumble and stumble as she or he foolishly attempts a rebuttal.

  12. Marc on April 25, 2012 at 10:25 PM

    Nice job, Mark!

  13. lea on April 25, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    In my opinion, no wage gap exists. If I had decided to be say a carpenter and had never saved etc. that was the livelihood I chose. Instead I went the route to a profession. My income I think is comparible to the men in my field. I do know a number of females who chose first marriage and kids. Many have since ended in low paying jobs but happy.

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