It seems to me that America has been going downhill since Reagan took the election for President. Ever since then the rich have gotten richer while the middle class workers have dwindled and the poor have become poorer.
If we had jobs that paid well and a minimum wage that was livable we would not have nearly as many problems. People would be busy doing their jobs and living their lives. Crime would still be happening but some crimes would stop. You will always have some white collar crime because of greed! Petty crime wouldn’t have to happen. Because people would have a job that is rewarding.
I know that this would not cure all that is wrong but it sure would make life a lot better for a lot of folks. It also would not hurt to spend the money on creating jobs and stop spending so much on fighting wars!
So as I often do, I ask you for your thoughts about a livable wage as a minimum wage?
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/the-week-in-review-081514
Follow Bernie Sanders and read his posts on his site and maybe you will understand more clearly what I am trying to say here. Vote and take someone to the polls who might not go without a little shove in the right “correct” direction. Get rid of the GOtP and get a congress that will do the work they are paid to do.
I agree, of course, any man or woman or child for that matter that puts in a full days work should make what he/she can live comfortably on. I think more than worrying about a living wage which is a good thing, we should also start to dial back the exorbitant wages being paid to management and those of the upper echelons of business. Maybe if companies, small large and in between would start to do this, they would miraculously find the money they need to pay a fair wage to the rest of their workers.
Absolutely Monica! The discrepancy between the top and bottom is way too big.
Sorry about the typos in my comment Nirek, I was trying to multitask while expressing my feelings…I guess that doesn’t work. 🙂 I have fixed the typos I found, hope you can read the comment better now. By the way, excellent article, wonderful topic, something that could begin to eliminate some of the strife we see occurring in this nation now on what appears to be a daily basis. Economic inequality is a major problem in this nation and something the government should be addressing. It appears capitalism has taken a wrong turn. 🙂
Nirek, I know someone who used to work for Office Max (moved on quite a while ago) and he said that they are now paying new hires substantially less than they did more than ten years ago!
As we all know, prices have gone up in these past ten years. Yet — in their case — the employer is paying less! In short, workers are not even treading water. They’re sinking.
Thanks so much for raising this issue. Bernie is totally right on this one.
Thanks, Kes, Bernie is quite often right on many issues. This inequity of pay is certainly wrong. It is fine to pay the CEO more than those who work for him/her but not so much more as they are now.
Let me add that is is disgraceful for that company to have lowered the starting pay rather than raised it.
Thank you ST, the inequality of pay for work is absurd. When the CEO is paid fifty or more times the amount the lowest paid worker is, I do not think there is an incentive for a good job. The person doing the work that keeps the company going is the one who ought to be paid better. If the CEO were to do the job of the lower paid person he/she would see the value of the worker.
Truth
I agree gentle friend Nirek.
And thank you for your compassion.
ST
“Imagine if all who worked were paid a living wage.
Arguments of injustice would vanish.”
SearingTruth