February 11, 2000
It's all the buzz in Albion: Hillary stiffs a single mom
By Barbara J. Saffir
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ALBION, N.Y. Maybe it's no big deal elsewhere, but it's all
the buzz in Albion.
Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped into the Village House, a
favorite diner in this upstate farming town, and ordered two orders
of scrambled eggs, home fries and rye toast. So far, so good. The
locals appreciate a hearty appetite.
Her breakfast was on the house, and when she left the waitress,
a single mom, found not a penny at her plate.
The locals have been talking about little else since Tuesday,
when she stopped for breakfast after making a speech about how New
York's farmers "are really hurting these days."
Says Linda Ellis, a regular who voted for President Clinton and
says she might vote for the first lady: "It's the little things you
have to look at in a political campaign.
"She is the first lady, but it doesn't feed her son," she said.
The waitress, who makes less than the minimum wage and pays for her
own health insurance, deserved a tip, she said.
Mrs. Clinton, who once declared a 15-cent income-tax deduction
for a pair of her husband's undershorts that she had donated to
charity, had dropped into the diner, halfway between Buffalo and
Rochester, along with a dozen reporters in her motorcade.
It was her first public event since beginning her "official"
candidacy Sunday at Purchase, N.Y., near her new $1.7 million
Westchester County home. Mrs. Clinton, the beneficiary of extensive
contributions from unions, is pushing to raise the minimum wage and
make health insurance affordable.
"She had two servings of eggs," said restaurant owner Alex
Mitrousis. At first, she just ordered oatmeal to go but then she
ordered scrambled eggs, home fries and rye toast. After she ate
that, she ordered "two scrambled eggs with cheese," he said. "We're
going to call it the first lady's special," he said.
One order of "two large fresh eggs" with toast and ham, bacon
or sausage costs $2.75.
Mr. Mitrousis, who emigrated to the United States from Greece
decades ago, says the first lady's failure to leave a tip does not
bother him and that it was "an honor" to have the first lady stop
there.
He also noted that he enjoyed the publicity because many
customers now ask for the table where Mrs. Clinton sat. He said he
lost money during her visit, however, because regular patrons could
not get in to the packed parking lot near the intersection of routes
31 and 98.
Mr. Mitrousis said he did not charge Mrs. Clinton for the food
she ordered herself during her visit with more than a dozen
reporters and photographers in tow.
Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson had no comment.
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