Untipped Waitress Calm in the Face of Calamity
The Daily Probe - February 28, 2000
The context for this and other Daily Probe articles is provided here.
NEW YORK, NY (DPI) - Tricia Trucho didn't set out to be a heroine--
it just turned out that way. The 31-year-old waitress and single
mother became the focus of national attention after she served
First Lady-cum-senate candidate Hillary Clinton breakfast, then
famously received no tip. Speaking to reporters outside the Village
House Restaurant, Ms. Trucho said, "I don't need her tip. I'm doing
just fine on my own, living off the sweat of my brow. And a
government check every two weeks. And the Earned Income Tax Credit.
And food stamps. And subsidized public housing. And free medical
care at the emergency room any time I get a sniffle. And free
breakfast and lunch for my boy Pugsley down at the school. Thanks to
the choices I have made, I am completely independent." Asked if she
would be voting Libertarian this year, Ms. Trucho scoffed and said,
"Hell, no. I only make $5,000 a year, not counting the tips that I
don't claim on my tax return. I'm voting a straight Democratic
ticket. How else do you think I can afford to be so independent?"
Come to think of it, maybe Hillary Clinton and her ilk have already
done enough for this lady. Let's all give Hillary a break.
- Reported by Chris Jones
-30-