Arizona Senator Jon Kyl is a Cheap Ass

Something I don't understand is why rich people always feel like they are entitled to free stuff even though they are in that certain percentage of people who can actually afford to pay for things. I see it all the time at my job. "Table 3 is a VIP. He's a very famous actor who works on Broadway all the time, has a Tony award and just started shooting his own television series. Bring me his check so I can comp it." Meanwhile, table 4 is a struggling singer who took the night off from her restaurant job to come see her friend's show and she has to buy bottled water because she can't afford a cocktail. It's not right. The bubble that rich people have around them is very often a bubble that was created by others.

I recently got an email from a server in Yuma, Arizona who wanted to let me know that his state senator, Jon Kyl came into the restaurant a few weeks ago. I won't say the name of the restaurant because I don't want the server to get fired. Senator Kyl came in with three other men and they proceeded to order about $100 worth of food; a couple of fish sandwiches, a double hamburger, a philly cheese steak, four orders of fries and four large drinks. The men told the server the food was great and the service was great but you know what they left for a tip? A big fat pile of nothing. Really, Jon Kyl? Isn't enough that Jon Stewart hates you? But now you want to make sure that servers across the country think you are a total asswipe too? I did a quick Google search for the annual salaries of state senators and I think you are making about $174,000 a year. That means that you probably could have cobbled together the fifteen fucking percent that you should have left for your server since he is probably making the minimum wage for tipped employees in Arizona which  is $4.65 an hour. That's about the cost of one of the orders of french fries your table had.

According to Senator Kyl's website, he is serving his third and final term in the U.S. Senate. In 2008, he was elected to serve as Republican Whip which is exactly what the server wanted to do to his cheap ass when he saw the 0% tip waiting for him. It is inexcusable.

Politicians are always seen in little diners across the country when they are pandering to the voters. I guess they think that surrounding themselves with salt of the earth people in humble little watering holes makes them seem more approachable and more like regular people. You're not regular people, politicians. Most of you have money and a lot of it which automatically makes you unlike anyone I know. No one is buying that you just happened to stop by the little diner on Main Street to have a burger and a beer. We all know you are there to get some press.

"I'm a regular person."

"I'm a regular person."

"I'm a regular douchebag."

Well, here is some press for you, Jon Kyl: servers depend on tips. Our pay checks are next to nothing. Those dimes and quarters that people toss on the table are what goes into our pockets to pay for rent, food and clothing. We need it. It's our salary. Most of us don't have insurance benefits from our jobs and even fewer of us get any kind of retirement plan from waiting tables so every time you stiff one of us, it puts us deeper into the hole. I hope this blog gets shared by everyone who reads it so that eventually it will float over to your office in Arizona. Maybe then you will do the right thing and have your ass chauffeured back over to Yuma where you can find you server and say, 'I'm really sorry I forgot to tip you when I was here last week. I know you work hard and it's tough to make ends meet when you are depending on tips. Here's $20.00. Thank you so much for the great job you did. I really appreciated it."

I challenge Jon Kyl to even acknowledge that this happened. Please share this and let's see if he ever hears about it. Or you can email him here and ask him about it. He'd like that.



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