Letter: Tourism means big bucks, but workers never see it

Posted: January 19, 2016 - 10:57pm | Updated: January 19, 2016 - 11:14pm
St. Augustine Record
By DOUG BALSAMO
Tourism means big bucks, but workers never see it
Editor: The Record has again published an article about low wages and lack of affordable housing. You also published articles about the great number of tourists and the amount of money being spent — as well as the money being made by local businesses.
The problem is that business owners are not passing on their good fortune to those actually cleaning the rooms, cooking the food or doing any of the many jobs that keep St. Augustine clean, fed and waited on.
That’s the problem.
The employers think that $8.50 an hour is a good wage because there are so many who will take it just to have an income. How is a family supposed to feed, clothe and house itself, when it takes the majority of a month’s wages just for rent? If you want a real perspective, talk to some of the local workers, not the managers or owners who don’t have a clue — or choose to ignore it.
Our visitors spend a lot of money on hotel rooms, food, gas and activities. From the looks of things, many of the visitors are affluent, while many of the locals struggle to survive on mediocre wages — while their bosses drive new cars.
Low pay is fine ... just not for them.