At the hardware store recently I approached the checkout counter with my items.
The clerk swiped each item. The total shown on the screen came to $1.21.
I offered the young clerk a $5.00 bill, a quarter and a penny. She did not know what to do!
She finally ask me if I had any other change. I said, “no”. She tried to hand me the quarter and the penny. I refused to take it. (Just to see what she would do.)
Flustered, she called for her Manager. He came out and made the proper change for me. (Four ones, and a nickel). The look he gave me told the whole story!

I must argue this statement.
The current tax structure is keeping more money in the hands of corporations while institutions such as public schools and hospitals are struggling due to decreased tax revenue. So, a teacher who graduated from college, works 10+ hours a day educating our future leaders, and chose this profession to make a change in the world is crapped on by their employer every day by being paid lower wages than the bartender down the street. Now tell me, how is it the poor teacher's fault that more and more funding is taken away from education while corporations are given a slew of tax incentives, huge bonuses and tax-payerbailouts?? Your statement is SO offensive to the working poor, BillHill.
I work in Healthcare and it's the same thing. People bitch and moan about Medicaid, as if we're paying the recipients cash money. Yet, it ensures that the hospitals get PAID and the employees get PAID and don't lose their jobs due to bad-debt write-off getting out of hand. Those of us who rely on tax money for our employers to stay afloat are not getting poor because of anything we did wrong!

Being a little judgmental aren't we? I've run into this situation several times including about three weeks ago. I had to explain to the young lady that all she had to do was ring in what I gave to her and it would work out. She asked her manager if I was right and the manager had to show the young girl how to do it. Another time I was in a gas station store and they were selling hot dogs at two for 99 cents. The clerk had to get help when I only bought one.

It is a sad comment on our educational system.

Damn- sounds like we should move to Illinois! No teacher's union in SC and lousy school boards make for lesser pay. He's a brand new teacher, hired after school started as a "long-term sub" at @ $9.00/hr!!! WITH all the responsibilities of the "full-time teacher with a classroom of his own." And no benefits. Working 10 hours per day, getting paid for 8. Bum deal. As a bartender, he made as much in 2 eight-hour shifts as he does working full time for a week for the rug rats. I don't know of ANY public school teachers here in SC who make $90K per year! That's awesome.