May 2, 2008

Apparently I Just Need More “Training”

I’m pissed off. No, I’m furious. I’m extremely angry at John McCain. I wanted to tackle this topic last week but I was seething after reading this:

Republican Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits.

Senate Republicans killed the bill on a 56-42 vote Wednesday night. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had delayed the vote to give McCain’s Democratic rivals, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, time to return to Washington to support the measure, which would make it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.

McCain skipped the vote to campaign in New Orleans.

Yes. You read that correctly. John McCain skipped this important vote because he was campaigning.

I have been sputtering about this for days. It’s just another piece of evidence that proves that Republicans do not care about women like they say they do. I’ve always wondered why women my age are mostly Democrats and I think I figured it out. The Democrats actually give a damn about the rights of women. And while I may disagree with abortion as a “reproductive right” I do understand why so many women vote Left.

The GOP is out of touch with reality. They are perfectly content on believing that a woman’s “place” is in the home. Never mind that many women choose to be home with their children. So says McCain, “They [women] need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else, and it’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have somebody to take care of them.”

This remark just doesn’t make sense to me. I can’t see the correlation between women finding it difficult to leave their families to go to work and pay inequality.

When I worked outside the home I struggled with “mom guilt”. It was hard to take my son to daycare each day, without feeling as though someone else was raising my child. But my family needed my income to make ends meet, and I actually liked working. It wasn’t the worst thing I could be doing. But just because I found it difficult to be a mother and an employee, does that mean I shouldn’t be upset that my male co-workers, with the same qualifications, and the same job training, received a higher salary than I did?

And what about the women who are college graduates, educated women with pertinent job training? Do they need more training and education to get paid equally? If a woman does the same work as a man, and has the same qualifications, education and work experience as that man, why is she paid less? Does that seem fair? Because the man has a penis he automatically gets a salary increase? Is he paid based on testosterone? Does producing estrogen automatically knock a woman’s wage down?

It’s true, more women are the heads of their households. More women control the purse strings. More women are in charge of family decisions. More women have greater influence in matters of business. It’s also safe to say that women are better able to influence other women on how to vote in this coming election. But the one area where women are jipped is in salaries. We are still treated as second class citizens.

Why are we treated so unfairly? Is it because we tend to be more nurturing? Because we are partners, wives and mothers? Because we have vaginas? That’s it, isn’t it? Men are afraid of the power of the va-jay-jay so to punish us, we get paid less money so they can still feel in control. On top. Like they have more authority.

I’ve got a vagina that says these men better use their salary boosts to buy protection for their man parts, you know, just in case millions of angry women can’t fight the urge to kick them in the balls.

From Comedy Central’s Indecision 2008:

It’s men like John McCain that make it impossible for women to escape these stereotypes. (I’ve found another reason to be glad I didn’t vote for McCain in the Wisconsin primary.)

**Cross-posted at Mommybloggers.

April 20, 2006

“What do you do for a living?”

I was e-mailed and asked to share with everyone what I do for a living. I’m kind of laughing because only parents would say “What do you do for a living?” Most of the people I meet today will ask, “What do you do for dough?” or “Where do you work?” or “What’s your job like?” So to see that old school phrase again, really made me smile. It also triggered a memory of my very Polish grandmother. She used to ask, “What’s your name from home?” which translates today as “What is your maiden name?”

My job is very interesting to say the least. I work for a company called Travel Guard International. The headquarter office is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Travel Guard offers travel insurance for many different types of travelers. Some of the products offered are: trip cancellation & trip interruption coverage, travel medical insurance, baggage protection, travel delay & bag delay coverages and accidental death & dismemberment insurances. Some of the services offered include: emergency medical transportation, emergency medical assistance & referrals, concierge services and live travel agent services.

Travel Guard offers these products on a retail and wholesale basis. Some of our wholesale providers include: Globus & Cosmos, Amadeus Waterways, Disney Vacation Club, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Seats, Carrentals.com, Expedia, Ice Gallery, Brendan Tours, Brennan Vacations, MBNA, Abercrombie & Kent and so many more.

My job is to sell insurance, offer assistance and take out claims. Most recently Travel Guard Canada (separate division) began offering insurance for the customers of PC Financial (President’s Choice of Canada).

I have a few funny calls I’d like to share with you.

———-

Parlez-vous francais?

Dana: Thank you for calling the PC Financial Travel Insuance Desk, this is Dana, how may I assist you?

Caller: Bon Jour, Dana is it? (This caller had a very thick French-Canadian accent)

Dana: Yes, Dana is my name.

Caller: I’d like to get a quote for travel insurance, si vous plait.

Dana: Certainly, I can help you with that, may I start by getting your name please?

Caller: Oui, my name is Monique Renois.

Dana: Merci. Is it okay if I call you Monique or do you prefer Madam Renois?

Caller: Monique is fine.

Dana: Thank you. Are you currently a PC Financial customer, Monique?

Caller: Yes, I am. I bank with your company.

Dana: May I have your address please?

Caller: Size 10.

Dana: Pardon?

Caller: Oui, you had asked for my dress size, no?

Dana: (Fighting laughter) I’m sorry, I had asked for your address.

Caller: Oh! Zut! I must be losing my hearing.

———-

Gucci on the Loosey!

Dana: Thank you for calling the Disney Vacation Club Insurance Desk, this is Dana how may I assist you?

Caller: I need to file a claim.

Dana: Certainly, I can help you with that. May I have your name please?

Caller: Jodi Martin. But the policy is under Jolene Martin.

Dana: I can look that up. May I call you Jodi or do you prefer Ms. Martin?

Caller: Jodi is fine. (She starts talking to her friend) Mary, light me a ciggie.

Dana: Thank you, Jodi. What is the reason for the claim?

Caller: Well, my friend and I are in Orlando. We took our kids to Disney. We decided to get a tan on the beach.

Dana: That sounds nice.

Caller: Yes, it was! Until we decided to tan topless. Then these two mexican kids stole my top. It was a goddamned Gucci top! Do you know how expensive that is?

Dana: (Trying not to laugh and trying harder not to ask why she took her top off at DISNEY WORLD) I’m so sorry to hear that, Jodi. Unfortunately, your coverage for baggage loss is a maximum of $500 but no one item can be more than $50. I’ll be more than happy to start the claim for this amount.

Caller: Well, will you cover my medical expenses? I sprained my ankle chasing those little “effers”.

Dana: (I had to mute the call for a minute to laugh) Your policy does have medical expense coverage. Have you seen a doctor yet?

Caller: No, I just bought some tequila. It made the pain go away.

Dana: (Again, fighting laughter) Jodi, I’d be more than happy to refer you to a physician if you’d like to seek treatment for your ankle.

Caller: That’s okay. Just send the claim forms for my Gucci.

Dana: Certainly. Thank you for calling today.

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