The Letter "Our Times" Will Not Run

March 31, 2000

Dear Editor:

Aren't we blessed to be receiving the high-and-mighty sermons delivered by Robert Scheer every Thursday and Sunday regarding the need for a "living wage" program in Santa Monica? And speaking of delivery, how about the wages that Mr. Scheer's soapbox, the Los Angeles Times, must be paying to the people who deliver the newspapers that contain Mr. Scheer's pearls of wisdom?

Surely, with all of Mr. Scheer's proselytizing, those hard working individuals who get up early to leave their families and deliver the paper every morning are receiving at least $10.69 per hour plus benefits from the Los Angeles Times. After all, didn't the Los Angeles Times just approve a merger to become an $11 billion conglomerate?

And didn't some of Mr. Scheer's recent homilies denounce the outsourcing of labor? Don't tell me that Mr. Scheer's Los Angeles Times outsources the delivery of its newspaper to cut down on staffing costs. I'm confident that Mr. Scheer wouldn't stand for such shenanigans.

And what about all of the Santa Monica restaurants operated by Mr. Scheer's acquaintances that he constantly touts in his column? No doubt Mr. Scheer has confirmed that his acquaintances all pay their workers at least $10.69 per hour plus benefits. I can't believe Mr. Scheer would frequent and frequently hype his acquaintances' restaurants if they were paying low wages that force their workers "to go without the basics of life" - to quote from one of Mr. Scheer's recent lectures.

Perhaps Mr. Scheer should look closer to home before flinging his arrows at others in the Santa Monica business community who provide needed services to us all and who probably treat their employees better than does Mr. Scheer's newspaper.

Sincerely,