Dollars to Donuts
When he's in Hartford, Chris Donovan is a state legislator and the co-chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Back home in Meriden, Chris is just a guy who wants a cup of coffee and a sinker. But he never leaves his social conscience at the donut shop door.
On December 17th Chris and his wife Elaine went to the local Dunkin Donuts. On the way in, they were startled--and angered--by a sign the owner had put up on the door:
"Notice to Our Valued Customers: On January 1, 2000, the minimum wage rate in the state of Connecticut will be increasing to $6.15. In order to offset some of this increase, many of our prices will be increasing 5-10% as of January 1, 2000. Thank you for your patronage."
Chris had been instrumental in raising the state's minimum wage, and he knew the owner was using the wage hike as an excuse to raise prices. "He must have other costs that go up, but he doesn't put them on a sign," Chris told the local press.
He left the store and came back with his own notice:
"We pay our employees poverty wages. We make more that way Rather than pay our employees a decent wage for their hard work, and take a little less for ourselves, we'd rather raise our prices and hope you'll blame those greedy low-wage workers. Thank you for your patronage."
Chris handed a few out and tried to post them, but was quickly stopped by a manager. By the end of the day, however, the notice put up by the owner had been taken down at all the shops where they had been posted.
"I call it truth in advertising," Chris told Homefront.
