KVOR host Michelli said minimum-wage earners are "dumb and incompetent"
Summary: Discussing a Colorado ballot initiative to increase the state's minimum wage, KVOR radio host Joseph Michelli asked, "I mean, is that the way it works -- is just life is what it is? You get dealt a hand, and some people are going to get squat, zero, nada. And because of that we should lift the minimum wage just to compensate for the fact that they're dumb and incompetent."
Discussing a Colorado ballot initiative to increase the state's minimum wage, on his August 29 radio show, Newsradio 740 KVOR host Dr. Joseph Michelli asked, "I mean, is that the way it works -- is just life is what it is? Life is what it is. You get dealt a hand, and some people are going to get squat, zero, nada. And because of that we should lift the minimum wage just to compensate for the fact that they're dumb and incompetent. Is that it?" Michelli added, "I mean, because that's not the free enterprise system. That is communism, isn't it?"
Michelli was referring to Amendment 42, a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase Colorado's minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 per hour and would adjust the minimum wage annually for inflation.
Michelli is an organizational psychologist, a Colorado Springs-based radio personality, and a motivational speaker. His "training, consulting, and keynote presentation company," Lessons for Success, describes Michelli on its website as "a psychologist and part-time clown, [who] is neither a conservative nor a liberal ideologue. Rather, he's an issue-by-issue commentator, who eloquently expresses his opinions without shoving them down our throats."
From the August 29 broadcast of Newsradio 740 KVOR's The Joseph Michelli Show:
MICHELLI: Will you vote in support of increasing the state minimum wage by about $1.30 from its current level? And if you will, do you think it's going to mean more children will have health insurance? I mean, think about the illogic of some of these statements we're hearing tonight from people who say, "Well, there's so many people in poverty and there's a lot of kids who don't have health insurance and" -- so what, we're going to increase the minimum wage by $1.30, and what's that going to do for kids in Colorado?
I think if you were in a minimum-wage job right now, gosh, you got to hurry up and get out of it, don't you? How can you support a family on a minimum-wage job? Or is this really the reality? There's just some people who have so limited skills. Let's just be honest. They have such limited skills they cannot possibly make it in a competitive marketplace. You know, the intellectual curve is evenly distributed, right? So, you got some Albert Einsteins, like my producers, and you got some me's. And, you know, between those Albert Einsteins and me is like a vast cavern of intellectual power. So they will always make more than I will by dint of their intellectual ability; and me, with the limited skills that I've been given -- just a mouth, basically, connected to seemingly nothing -- that would cause me to be always on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic perspective.
I mean, is that the way it works -- is just life is what it is? You get dealt a hand, and some people are going to get squat, zero, nada. And because of that we should lift the minimum wage just to compensate for the fact that they are dumb and incompetent. Is that it? I mean, because that's not the free enterprise system. That is communism, isn't it?
—C.H.
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Comments (7) Show
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An highly apt self-description of a boring radio host who has almost no listeners.
Wow, a comm'mmunism (*wipe snot bubble from nose with sleeve* quote! How 80's of him. And hey, why don't we take it one step farther: why don't we just ELIMINATE the minimum wage entirely, and just MAKE all those people do the same work for free! They're so "dumb and incompetent" anyway, why should we pay 'em at all?
This guy is just typical of the "compassionate conservative" and neocon crowd: "I got mine, and screw all the rest of ya".
Lovely.
Colorado Springs is comprised of right-wing religious fanatics. Michelli has management presuure to play to their issues. However, with enough liberal callers, I believe that he is susceptible to logic and overwhelming force. If we continue to stress the moral basis for our liberal positions (increasing the minimum wage provides greater dignity to those of us who haven't fared so well in the lottery of life), I think that we can convert him and many of his listeners.
This is what I wrote to him in an e-mail:
"As an organizational psychologist (so you're supposedly an educated man) you should know that a person's skill sets have nothing to do with his/her intellectual ability. What skills a person has correlates to the opportunities, or the lack thereof, that have been given to him/her for job training and education.
Smart people and stupid people permeate all levels of society, from the very poor to the very rich. Bright, brilliant people who live in poverty are essentially locked into that position for economic reasons (I'm sure you also know that poverty is often generational, because parents can't afford higher education for their children). They can't afford college. Even vocational training is often beyond them because they have families to support with their meager wages, and maybe it's not just spouses and children they have to support, but many poverty stricken families have to rely on all members for survival, so these people could be supporting sisters, brothers, and aging parents as well.
Intellectual aptitude does not bring a person success in life. Only opportunity does that, and only job training and a college degree open up opportunities. This is what our capitalist society has wrought; this is the reality we are living in. Really, Mr. Michelli, this is Sociology 101.
Your producers are not producers simply because they are smart people (and I seriously doubt you could really compare them to Albert Einstein). They did not earn their positions for that reason. They have their jobs because they were fortunate enough to go to college, and afterwards I'm sure they had to sweat it out through the ranks of radio broadcasting to earn the title of producer. No, it has nothing to do with intellectual ability, but what skills and knowledge they were lucky enough to learn and apply to their jobs.
Your "discussion" of this topic was an over-simplification of the issue. I have some very real doubts if raising the minimum wage will bring more opportunities to those living in poverty. It may just allow them to put more food on the table and buy one more pair of shoes for a child who is desperate for them, but I doubt it will allow an adult to be able to afford vocational training or college. I suspect that only a free higher educational system will do that.
As far as your personal "socioeconomic position" is concerned...
You claim you are below your producers in status. At one point you claim it's because you are not intellectually their equal. Then you turn around and imply that it is because they make more money than you do (by using the term "socioeconomic position").
If your producers are economically above you, it's because you've chosen to work as a radio talk show host, rather than using your hard earn degree in organizational psychology in a professional setting. Again, intellectual ability has nothing to do with it; it is what you choose to do with your training (or not do) that does."
I want to apologize to all I have offended here. I will also make a retraction on the radio first thing Tuesday morning. I was horrified to see this. I will not defend myself this comment is the only thing stupid and incompetent.
In context, I was responding to the notion that "anyone making minimum wage can find a better job." This was a running theme from callers. I was trying to say that their is a normal distribution of talent and intellect and a small number of people may not have upward mobility.
Despite having worked for minimum wage in my career, I think arbitrary increases are inflationary and do not necessarily end up helping those they are intended to assist. I may be wrong about that and that was the source of the debate for the show.
I am horrified to see comments that suggest that I am this insensitive. I can only beg your forgiveness and for someone to attest to the fact that it is not my style to name call. I have been doing this radio show in this market for 8 years. To my knowlege this is the only time my comments have appeared here. I regret that I left anyone with the impression that any human being is stupid.
This is absolutely awful.
... yet of a piece with mainstream conservative thought, policy and government, not to mention the views expressed daily on conservative raido. So, it's your bed. If you don't want to lie in it, then wake up.
Sometimes perception is off...
For starters I don't think you get the point. From my perception Dr. Michelli was pointing out a minimum wage job should only be a start out place not a lifetime choice. He doesn't support the minimum wage being increased and he is entitled to his opinion on that. Dr. Michelli did ask or state that he thought an increase in minimum wage would also increase the costs of living for the very people an increase is suppose to benefit.
My first job wasn’t even at minimum wage. I was working making $10 an hour at the age of 16. Perhaps it’s because my parents told me to take every class I could. “Knowledge is power learn everything you can and go some where in life!” More people need to take responsibility of self worth and set the standards higher for life.
I will continue to tune into KVOR and The Dr. Joseph Michelli’s show. I feel he is very informative and well educated. He may at times have a certain sarcasm some just don’t understand. Perhaps people need to check their emotions and reaction at the door before tuning in. To be present in listening is the first key.
Girlpower369
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