General Discussion

Employers are legally obligated to ensure that you earn minimum wage by topping off your pay if the tips aren't enough to bring your pay to minimum wage.. If you choose not to report your tips to your employer so they can top off your pay, then don't complain about not earning minimum wage.

So legally, you are in the same position as every other minimum wage employee - except that you now get tax-free income - a benefit not granted to others similarly situated who still have to pay rent (and taxes) on the same hourly rate you are earning. That is what I object to - I am not opposed to waiving taxes on ALL minimum wage workers, but I am opposed to giving special treatment to one group of minimum wage workers while leaving others to pay more than their fair share.

The only way to change the system is to unite and demand changes for all similarly situated workers. When we cheer grantingone group special treatment, we diminish our ability to make change for all.

This is a standard tactic to avoid changing the system. Pick a "sexy" portion of a group with a loud voice/advocacy team and address their problem without addressing others similarly situated.

Breast cancer - double implants, whatever size you want, even when you have a 1 cm tumor, are deemed medically necessary and insurance is required by law to cover it. Even though that area of your body is largely clothed and most women were never equal sized to start with.

But disfiguring scars from other cancer surgery, even ones splashed across your face which can't be hidden, are treated as cosmetic.

The chances of having all restoration after cancer surgery treated as medically necessary (by law) is virtually zero - because Congress silenced the loudest voice (the breast cancer lobby) by giving them special treatment.

(And, for the record, I have both breast cancer AND a visible disfiguring scar from a different cancer. So I'm on both sides of that special treatment.)

Ditto special capped priced for the insulin my spouse takes - but not for the costly meds my daughter takes (over $100,000 just for meds). Again, giving one group special treatment silences their voice from the flight to get all medication prices called.

I am opposed to giving one group of similarly situated individuals special treatment, especially when the purpose is to silence that voice and minimize the chance for real change.

Breast cancer