MSNBC's Katy Tur: Am I Out Of Touch For Not Cheering A $1,000 Bonus?

MSNBC's Katy Tur <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/online/katy-tur-slammed-on-twitter-for-condescending-analysis-on-bonuses-from-gop-tax-cuts/">was scorched Monday on Twitter</a> for "<a href="https://twitter.com/SteveKrak/status/960623980909662210">condescending</a>" tweets she sent out during President Trump's visit to a plant in Ohio where the company's employees received a $1,000 bonus. Tur, instead of just reporting what the workers said, added commentary implying the $1,000 won't go far in helping them with their stated goal. When he <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tax-reform-4/">delivered remarks</a>, Trump invited several employees up to talk about their bonus. One man talked about putting the bonus toward savings to start a family. Tur followed <a href="https://twitter.com/KatyTurNBC/status/960602330918944768">with a tweet stating that the average cost to give birth to a child in Ohio is $5,836</a>. A woman said she will use the $1,000 toward buying a home and paying college tuition for her children. Tur <a href="https://twitter.com/KatyTurNBC/status/960603469370535937">tweeted the statistic of the average home price and cost of a private and public college</a>. People on Twitter, particularly those who cover the media, told Tur that the money is <a href="https://twitter.com/HashtagGriswold/status/960613363305902083">for *helping*</a> the <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveKrak/status/960624708340285440">employees get what they want</a>, that <a href="https://twitter.com/ReaganBattalion/status/960615671750103042">they now have one thousand more dollars they did not have before</a>. "This is some monumentally absurd, condescending analysis," <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveKrak/status/960623980909662210">former CNN producer and TV Newser editor Steve Krakauer tweeted</a>. "If you got $1,000 and chose to save it, it would absolutely help with a future purchase, starting a family, or college tuition for kids. It doesn’t PAY for it, and no one thinks it does." Wednesday on MSNBC TV, Tur seemed to double down on her original tweets while acknowledging $1,000 is a "big deal" and "nobody's scoffing." "Or does that make me seem out of touch? I'm just not sure," she asked. Tur then launched into a monologue about how $1,000 is not enough "sharing" from the company and how what workers want to save for "should be within the reach of every American." "Every dollar counts and $1,000 is a very big deal. But along with cheering one-time bonuses, shouldn't we be pushing for long-term salary hikes?" she asked. <blockquote>KATY TUR, MSNBC: On Tuesday [sic] (<i>editor's note</i>: it was on Monday), the president highlighted a pair of workers in Ohio who were using their $1,000 bonus to save for some big-ticket dreams: starting a family, owning a home and sending kids to college. We applaud them. Every dollar counts and $1,000 is a very big deal. But along with cheering one-time bonuses, shouldn't we be pushing for long-term salary hikes, the kind of sustained help that would transform big-ticket dreams into everyday realities? Because think about it, starting a family, owning a home, sending your kids to college, these should be within the reach of every American, bonus or no bonus. Or does that make me seem out of touch? I'm just not sure... These one-time bonuses, $1,000 is a big deal. Nobody's scoffing at $1,000. But is that where we should stop sharing, or should there be a push to change the system and get wages up so that workers can afford more of these everyday things? </blockquote>