this is understandable. she's just fighting the company for underpay and taking you-the person with the same responsibility, as a comparison.
btw, your earnings of 61k maybe very high for the work in midwest, could you just compare your previous salary while relocating to another place?
say, you earn 60k in the east, which is a place with high cost of living; whereas in midwest, 50k maybe enough for all...
is this correct?