Regarding the Feb. 15 Metro article “Tipped wage may go to voters”:
Washington, D.C
Opinion | Think carefully before changing tipped-wage laws
Second, do a study of how much restaurants really earn. It is a lot less than you think. It is why they are constantly going out of business. Few industries have the failure rate that full-service restaurants have.
Third, determine who will likely pay for the massive payroll increase caused by eliminating the tipped minimum wage. It will be the guests in the form of service charges and higher menu prices. Restaurants’ bottom lines cannot absorb the increase in payroll.
Fourth, find a constituency that will be happy about this change. In D.C., guests are confused by service charges or increased prices. Restaurant owners struggle to manage a dwindling bottom line. Tipped employees are not making more money. Of course, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue is happy. It is collecting extra sales tax on all the service charges.
D.C. voters were given a choice on a ballot initiative to save or eliminate the tipped minimum wage. More than 75 percent voted to eliminate it without fully understanding it. Will Maryland follow suit, or will the voters do their homework?
Geoffrey Tracy, Washington
The writer is owner of Chef Geoff’s and Lia’s restaurants.
Washington, D.C
Here's the average school teacher salary in DC, Maryland & Virginia
WASHINGTON – The average salary of teachers in D.C. has been ranked in the top five average salaries in the country.
On average, D.C. teachers pulled in $84,882 for the 2023-2024 school year. Maryland teachers averaged a salary of $79,420. Virginia teachers averaged a salary of $63,103.
Several counties across the D.C. area continue to battle widespread teacher shortages.
Before the start of the 2023 -2024 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools says it has fewer than 100 teacher vacancies. Montgomery County Public Schools says they have 180 full-time open teacher positions, and D.C. Public Schools has 106 outstanding teacher vacancies.
Teacher salary average:
The national average starting teacher salary in 2024 was $44,530, according to the NEA.
The national average teacher salary in 2024 was $69,544, according to the NEA.
Here’s how that compares across the country:
According to the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers union, on average, teachers are making 5% less than they did 10 years ago.
States with the highest average teacher salaries:
California ($95,160)
New York ($92,696)
Massachusetts ($92,307)
Washington ($86,804)
District of Columbia ($84,882)
States with the lowest average teacher salaries:
West Virginia ($52,870)
Florida ($53,098)
South Dakota ($53,153)
Mississippi ($53,354)
Missouri ($53,999)
Washington, D.C
Predicition: Montreal vs DC United – Soccer News
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 151/100
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Following a slow start of the campaign, Montreal welcomes DC United searching for the first win since mid-April. The game will be played at the Saputo Stadium where over 23,000 fans will push the local side towards the 4th win of the season.
Montreal
After an incredible start that saw Montreal undefeated in the opening three rounds, the hosts strangely slowed down in the following games. After their victory over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the Canadian team seemed like a serious contender for the Eastern Conference title.
Nevertheless, the first indication of the host’s defensive issues came with the strange downturn that followed as Montreal lost each of their next three games. Even though they led against Chicago Fire at halftime, Montreal’s second-half collapse caused them to lose 4–3, recording the first loss of the season. The visits to DC United and Seattle were even more disastrous for Laurent Courtois’s team, losing both games without scoring (1-0 against DC United and 5-0 against Seattle).
The hosts of this match thus dropped to 13th place following poor performances, seven points outside the play-offs. With four losses in the previous five games, Montreal’s below-expected results persisted, making it difficult for the team to compete at a high level owing to unresolved defensive concerns. Nevertheless, after the humiliating 5-1 loss at Toronto, Courtois made some tactical adjustments that paid off in the most recent goalless draw at home versus Nashville.
After a dismal start to the season and a difficult schedule ahead, Montreal has to defeat DC United to avoid elimination from the play-offs early on. Furthermore, Montreal, who failed to win any of their last four games against the Capital team, have always found the visitors a formidable foe.
Team News
The strikers for Montreal were out for weeks owing to injury, which contributed to the lack of goals scored in the recent games. Both Matias Coccaro and Joseph Martinez will be out for an extended length of time due to knee injuries. In addition, Lassi Lapallainen entered the recovery room through groin issues.
DC United
An excellent start with a single defeat in the first seven rounds had the hosts dreaming of the quarter-finals of the play-offs. However, the inability to close games which led to many points dropped sent DC United to 9th place, four points behind their target. Still, with 18 points from 15 games (W4D6L5), the away side is positioned in the last spot that leads to the round of 16.
Starting May undefeated with a spectacular home stalemate against Philadelphia (2-2) followed by a statement win at Atlanta United (3-2), the run was ended by New York Red Bulls who punished the hosts with a comprehensive 4-1 win. Following the heavy blow suffered in that match, DC United travelled to Miami to face Messi & Co. with few expectations considering the current leader’s impressive form.
Despite dominating the game from start to finish, Inter Miami narrowly edged DC United with a late goal scored in the 90th minute by Leonardo Campagna, inflicting Troy Lesesne’s team with the 5th defeat in the league. With an upcoming difficult schedule and Orlando City looking to explore any slip, DC United must repeat the latest two displays at Montreal when they left the pitch with all three points.
Team News
Central midfielder Rusell Canouse has been out with illness since the end of March and will not play against Montreal. Lesesne is expected to dispatch Ibrahim Sunusi upfront with the young Nigerian striker scoring against Toronto.
Key factors to consider
- Montreal disappointed their fans this season after registering a single home win (2-1 against Cincinnati)
- The hosts are in free fall suffering four defeats in the last five rounds
- Laurent Courtouis’s team conceded 15 goals in the last five games
- DC United are well positioned in a play-off spot with 18 points after playing 15 rounds
- Despite struggling on the road, the visitors proved to be difficult to defeat away from home (W1D4L2)
- Troy Lesesne’s team has an excellent recent away record against Montreal (W2)
Conclusion
Montreal have all the attributes required to get back on track with a win against DC United. Although the visitors are slightly better positioned in the standings, their recent results display a fall that Montreal should be capable of exploiting.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 151/100
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Washington, D.C
Homicide reported in D.C. on each day of three-day holiday weekend
At least three men were killed in separate homicides in the District over the holiday weekend, one on each of the three days, according to the D.C. police.
The apparently unrelated killings occurred in Southeast on Saturday, in Northwest on Sunday and in Northeast on Monday. One victim was less than 20 years old; another was in his late 50s.
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