Princeton Chemical Engineering Grad-students, late 1970s. My thesis advisor is the tall fellow at center; I’m the bearded fellow at right looking the wrong way.
Here I am in Detroit with a professional tree planter trying to beautify the city by planting trees. It’s not much but it’s something. Trees are great, and they get nicer with age. Besides, two Detroiters joined in to plant in front of their houses. Working together brings peace.
Robert E. Buxbaum and friend planting trees in Detroit. Arbor day, 2012.
I took these pictures at reunions this year 2012; the first shot is the dining room at the Princeton Grad college. They favored robes for formal dinners when I started; the fellows in white are waiters– and we had stewards to help clean up our rooms. (Mine knew Einstein). The second photo shows the courtyard looking towards two of my dorm rooms. One year I was in the second floor room at left with the bay window. One year in the second floor room at upper right (barely visible).
And here is the Grad Tower — Otherwise known as “Cleveland Tower” to honor Princeton alumnus, Grover Cleveland, and here’s the fireplace in the dining room. Reminds one of The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in that book by JK Rowling– Boar-scabs, I think. The motto: bonus entra, melior exi: good coming, better leaving.
Here’s my PhD class; at first glance, you would not think we belong.
Robert Buxbaum, June, 2012
A major cause of Detroit’s financial problems, it seems to me, is that Detroit has an uncommonly high minimum wage, $13.75/hr for all employees in any company that contracts with the city and does not provide free health care; or $10.50/hr for companies that provide healthcare. This minimum, called a living wage, is about double the state minimum wage of $7.40.
Although the city is financially bankrupt, the city can not hire janitors and pay less than this, nor hire accountants from a company that pays its janitors less than this. Besides the burden on Detroit’s budget, this puts a burden on its unemployment system. Many in Detroit don’t possess the education or skills to justify jobs at this wage. This high minimum wage effectively cuts them from the bottom rung of jobs at these companies — jobs at the bottom of the ladder of success. Many businesses find innovative ways around the law, using corruption and bribes to skirt enforcement, if the recent trials of the mayor are any indication, but a system of corruption is not good for the city.
As these wages are far above standard, most employed workers for the city get their jobs by corruption and connections, and most everyone knows they got their jobs this way rather than skill. As a result, workers have no incentive to improve at their job. In a corrupt system like this, there is no likelihood that a raise would come with improved performance.
The justification for the living wage is the cost to support a family of 4 or 5, but Detroit is a much cheaper place to live than most, and not all workers are supporting families of 4 or 5. It therefore makes little sense to force all potential workers to refuse entry-level employment at $8.00/hour, a wage that would allow a single, motivated individual a decent living and a chance to climb as his/her needs and skills grew. Instead of promoting hard work and merit, this ordinance fosters corruption and cronyism; it makes it expensive for the city to hire contractors, makes it hard for workers to get their first jobs, and removes the benefits that normally come with improved skills. It’s a disaster, I suspect, and a reason the city is bankrupt.
Dr. Robert E. Buxbaum is a self-employed curmudgeon who tries to speak the truth as he sees it.