I am a County Firefighter/Paramedic and my child that turns 3 next week will be starting on this program. So does that mean the County pays me at the poverty level? I have not received a raise in 2 years and will not for another 2 years due to our Union contract. I actually received a 3 % decrease when Scott took office. I an thankful the services are aviable.

Firstly we can blame the hotels that have high occupancy and charge exhorbitant amounts of monies and have the audacity to pay about $10.00 an hour (some a little more- some a little less) to clean 7 to 9 rooms a day, rooms the hotel has made at a usual rounded number 200.00 per night. So, out of 1400.00 to 1800.00 these ladies make 80.00. It's criminal and the executive committees in these hotels should be ashamed. Larger corporations as well. The rates for other workers are similar in LOW paying. This is Key West, the cost of living here is high and the wages paid do not reflect that at all. If they do not get their heads out of their backsides and take care of these people better, there will be no people to clean these rooms, to clear your grounds, to mop your lobbies, to bag your expensive groceries, to run and chase down your shopping carts from all over the Key West streets. Here's another fact...Dr's refusing medicaid patients. Dr'a refusing NUMEROUS forms of health insurances. Funding cut across the board by Rick Scott and his minions cut Florida Kids Care so they made requirements stricter and costs higher, and the familes simply can not afford the costs. As for the unemployed parents, they have seen that with the cuts in child care and health benefits for their kids, it is better for only one parent to work because it is financially more feasible. So look at it---your cuts to the poor and lazy did not inspire them to work harder, it pushed them into having to be poorer to be aided. Brilliantly trickling down isn't it.