A Villager argues it’s former President Trump to blame for the shortage of staff at restaurants in The Villages.
“It’s not Biden’s fault that restaurant workers don’t want to return to work. Trump is the one who gave them $600/week extra to stay on unemployment!” said Sherree Klein of the Village of Charlotte. “Biden didn’t create this! Biden didn’t even encourage it! If you want to blame someone, look at Trump!
Her comments came in response to a recent story in Villages-News.com in which some readers blamed President Biden for “handouts” that discouraged servers from returning to work in local restaurants.
Klein offered an explanation for what we are seeing.
“Many continued to work or chose to return to work once jobs opened, be it at restaurants or elsewhere, because of their admirable work ethics. Those who chose to remain on unemployment, even though jobs were or became available, did so because of their lack of work ethics. Biden didn’t raise them! Biden didn’t teach them to have a lack of respect for themselves or to keep reaching for free handouts,” she said.
She called on fellow Villagers to be more generous with their tipping.
Villager Jerry Baden says he could have predicted the shortage of restaurant staff.
“I think that with the expansion and growth and the need to provide amenities to the new areas south (restaurants) has helped create the shortage, along with the increase of ‘welfare’ dollars,” Baden said.
Daniel Skidmore of Summerfield said the problem comes down to simple math.
“I empathize with the issues facing area restaurants and their employees. Many of them are trying to support themselves and families on an unrealistic wage. Additionally, many residents in The Villages are ‘Old School’ and often their gratuities are a dollar or two. Picture a Villages couple having a $ 50 dinner and leaving a $2 tip. Outrageous? It happens, unfortunately, for the server,” he said.
Skidmore said the solution is to include an automatic gratuity of 20 percent on everyone’s check.
“Problem solved. If a Villager is too cheap to properly tip their server, stay home,” he said.
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