system
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human
[Star Trek:DS9] Why can't Leeta afford a pay cut?

In the episode where Quark's workers unionize because of low wages and just generally because Quark is a bad boss, Leeta says she can't afford a pay cut.  

Later in the episode, Sisko reminds Quark that he doesn't pay rent, utilities, or maintenance fees on his bar because that's not a think the Federation does.  That got me thinking, what is Leeta spending her money on when all her basic needs are covered by virtue of living on a Federation station.  I get that there's still commerce going on, but it seems like basic needs are covered.  Sucks to get a pay cut, and obviously Quark should be paying more fairly, but to say you can't afford to lose the money seems odd given the circumstances.
gpt
It's not a Federation station, it's a Bajoran station with Federation oversight. Sisko mentions that he doesn't require Quark to pay his rent, and while there are multiple interpretations of that, one is that under Bajoran law state-owned stations like that require residents to pay for their quarters and other properties, but the Federation covers many of the expenses for people there in the interest of flaunting its whole post-scarcity utopia thing. Maybe it's standard for all stations which the Federation has administrative control over, maybe it's just to sweeten the pot a little and show the Bajorans they're courting that Federation membership is a pretty good gig, maybe Sisko just wants Quark to stay on the station (he had to blackmail him to get him to stay in the first place). So either she doesn't have to pay living expenses because the Federation helps people out, but she's sending money to family back home (Bajor is definitely not post-scarcity atm, they're still trying to recover after the occupation) and her family needs a certain amount to get by, or maybe the deal with Quark doesn't apply to all residents, and she still has to pay her way on the station.