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'Living wage' advocate walks out after defeat

The Rev. W.L. Lee was outvoted 5-1 in a Hillsborough task force, which may consider other, related plans.

TAMPA - A representative of the group promoting a "living wage" for Hillsborough County government employees walked out of a task force meeting Wednesday after it voted to recommend against the proposal.

"It's back to what it's always been," said the Rev. W.L. Lee, who heads the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, or HOPE, which is promoting the ordinance. "The haves want the have-nots to keep on being have-nots."

The Living Wage Ordinance Task Force was 5-1 against recommending the proposal, with Lee casting the lone dissenting vote before walking out, followed by other members of his group. The other members of the task force include county employees and a representative of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

The group is tentatively scheduled to meet again next week to consider other options short of creating a living wage ordinance.

HOPE has asked Hillsborough commissioners to enact an ordinance that would require a minimum level of pay for county employees and contractors who do business with the county. They calculate that wage for a person who heads a family of four at at least $9.97 an hour plus benefits.

However, county budget officials have raised concerns about the cost of such an ordinance to taxpayers. And the chamber contends that such minimum wage requirements often result in unemployment for uneducated workers, who risk losing higher paying government jobs to more qualified people.

An analysis by an economic research group from the University of South Florida bore some of those concerns out.

"It wasn't just a feeling of the members of the community like they didn't want to do it," said Dave Rogoff, director of the county's Health & Social Services Department, who is serving as chairman of the task force. "I think part of the discussion was that there are other things that can be considered, not just saying no."

Other proposals include improving access to health care for the poor or tax credits.