As Jessica Pieklo reported yesterday, the Governor of Wisconsin, with little notice or discuss, repealed the state’s Equal Pay law. For Scott Walker, it was no doubt the most logical step in his ongoing war on women and the working class, as the Equal Pay Law protected not just women but any protected class.
But for the Republican who was most enthusiastic about rescinding the law, it was really about fairness. After all, according to him, money is more “important” for men.
Over at the Daily Beast, Michelle Goldberg writes a detailed account of the repeal and the effect it will have in the state. Goldberg also interviews Republican state senator Glenn Grothman, who was an enthusiastic fan of repealing the law. According to Grothman, not only is there no actual pay gap between the sexes, if there was one it wouldn’t matter anyway. After all, men need money more than women do, since they have families to support. “You could argue that money is more important for men,” he told Goldberg. “I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true.”
Grothman’s views on women in the workplace is very 1960′s sitcom to start with, but his understanding of breadwinning is even more so. Many families have two breadwinners, as both partners either chose to or have to both be in the workplace. And the majority of families lead by just one parent have mothers at the helm.
Then again, when asked about his source for his figures that prove there is no wage gap between the sexes, Grothman stated it was Ann Coulter. That’s sound research to base legislation on.
But for the Republican who was most enthusiastic about rescinding the law, it was really about fairness. After all, according to him, money is more “important” for men.
Over at the Daily Beast, Michelle Goldberg writes a detailed account of the repeal and the effect it will have in the state. Goldberg also interviews Republican state senator Glenn Grothman, who was an enthusiastic fan of repealing the law. According to Grothman, not only is there no actual pay gap between the sexes, if there was one it wouldn’t matter anyway. After all, men need money more than women do, since they have families to support. “You could argue that money is more important for men,” he told Goldberg. “I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true.”
Grothman’s views on women in the workplace is very 1960′s sitcom to start with, but his understanding of breadwinning is even more so. Many families have two breadwinners, as both partners either chose to or have to both be in the workplace. And the majority of families lead by just one parent have mothers at the helm.
Then again, when asked about his source for his figures that prove there is no wage gap between the sexes, Grothman stated it was Ann Coulter. That’s sound research to base legislation on.
Read more: discrimination in the workplace, equal pay, scott walker, wage gap, war on women, war_on_women, wisconsin
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