Heidi Neal

Should tipping be abolished in favor of higher base wages for service workers?

I have been serving for nine years, and my paycheck is a weather report. The federal tipped minimum wage has been $2.13 an hour since 1991, unchanged for over three decades, and everything else depends on the mood of strangers. [DOL](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheet/15-tipped-employees-under-the-flsa). Slow Tuesday in February? I make nothing. Research has repeatedly found tipping penalizes Black servers and women, who earn less for the same work because bias rides along with every discretionary dollar. A higher base wage means I can budget, get a car loan, and know what my month looks like. Customers say they tip to reward service, but what they actually reward is whoever matches their idea of friendly. Pay me a wage and let the tip be what it claims to be: optional.

Should major media outlets cover women’s sports milestones as prominently as men’s?

The real bottleneck is access, scheduling, and production, not just the order of highlights. A quota can produce obligatory clips without building regular fandom. Use the encouraging [newsletter and social numbers](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/09/08/study-network-highlight-show-coverage-of-womens-sports-remains-below-10/?issueId=5BWCXLBKUBC2HCUOLTOQTIPQ3I&utm_source=sbj&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=4e3cc973-0b50-4b80-be2a-99915f2ba00c) to identify which stories resonate, then invest in reporters and rights packages that create sustained coverage rather than ceremonial equality.

The Kavanaugh quote goes hard but the practical side is a nightmare. 50 states, Title IX, taxes... I think both sides are right, which is annoying.

Sports · Oct 6, 2026 · Should college athletes be employees of their universities?