>On Thu, 21 Aug 2003, Kelley wrote:
>
> > >This is also IMHO the main problem with Ehrenreich's argument:
> it's
> > >unrepresentative.
> >
> > how could you possibly know?
>
>I'm using her own figures.
no, how could you possibly know what the pay rates are. You took her statistic and then claimed that it was about pay. All she could tell you was who works for a service/who is hired directly. You then claimed that domestics are paid well.
Around here, _every_ person I know pays a domestic $5-$8/hr. Back home, in upstate NY, there was a popular service that people hired: $15.00/hr. for three women to tidy up for an hour every day. That's $5/hr, right?
Live ins make even less than that b/c the people who hire them figure that the room and board they provide is part of their pay. Meanwhile, live ins are expected to be available 24/7, with maybe 12 hours off on Sunday. As Global Woman points out, the domestics are also often expected to go on their family vacations, etc. -- moving them far from their families for weeks and months at a time. Additionally, live ins are subjected to a lot of patronizing crap: they can't use the family shampoo, but _can_ use the .79 ct bottles of generic stuff. They can eat, but only the food set aside just for them. They get Walmart cheapo bed sheets, not the Laura Ashley bizillion thread count fine linens.
>I don't agree with either point. But since you've already written
>extensively and eloquently and not persuaded me, we should probably
>agree
>to disagree.
it's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. it's about getting ehrenreich's argument correct in the first place and _then_ providing reasons for disagreeing.
you can disagree all you want with ehrenreich. I do. but have the decency to get it right. i read right wingers get it wrong all the time about leftwing authors. they also claim they read the book. they also claim they haven't but have read others on the book and have a right to come to bullshit opinions about the book, too.
what a joke. it's a hoot when they do it to leftwingers. they look like assholes.
it's not funny reading the same crap happen on this list about an author who deserves far better treatment than that.
kelley