Red, that's why pay should be merit based. It would stand to reason someone doing something for twenty years has more exprereince and theoretically more "worth" than a brand new person.
However, if as you point out, that person isn't producing, they shouldn't make as much as the new person. It's all about accountability.
And by the way, I'm glad you "auto technicians" are out there but many people gripe about how much it cost to get a car fixed too.