You hit the nail on the head, Don. People can work full-time (or more) at minimum wage jobs, and work much harder that those corporate execs (with no paid holidays, no vacations, no sick days), and still not be able to afford to feed their families, pay the rent, get decent medical care. And if you’re on Government Assistance, you can lose your benefits even if you get a part-time job.
It’s also entirely possible that those “working poor” are doing jobs that are far more necessary to society than the CEO’s. But since it’s often work that anybody can do, those who do them are, individually, expendable. Don’t hope for advancement, don’t hope for improvement in working conditions (or even safety), don’t hope for dignity. And you damn well better not organize, or you’re out on your ear.
Unless they’re in their basements changing lead into gold, the fortunate don’t make their fortunes in a vacuum. If nothing else, they’re reliant upon the existence of a healthy middle class that can afford to buy their goods and services. Yes, they DO have an obligation to “give something back”, because if society goes down they go down with it.
Lewreader, those who do that and succeed, bravo. But if everybody in the country had education and training for skilled jobs, we’d have a bigger glut of overqualified unemployed than we have now. Entrepreneurship, absolutely. But the vast majority of new businesses fail. If you go into debt to start a business, and your business fails, you’ve got less than what you started with, and your children lose the roof over their head that you mortgaged for your dream.
I’ve got nothing against the profit motive; I’ve never argued that a ditch digger and a neurosurgeon ought to receive equal wages for equal man hours. But as I said, wealth is not created in a vacuum, the individual thrives when the community thrives. And yes, I DO believe that a certain level, wealth becomes “obscene.” If you run a business and you make 100 times more than your least-paid employees, either you are grossly overpaid or your workers are grossly underpaid.
coolvq about 13 years ago
Finally!
BlueRaven about 13 years ago
Oh, yes.
Hillbillyman about 13 years ago
Neal Boortz would be proud of you.
lewisbower about 13 years ago
A healthy attitude.
fritzoid Premium Member about 13 years ago
“By the way, how much is minimum wage, anyhow?”
You hit the nail on the head, Don. People can work full-time (or more) at minimum wage jobs, and work much harder that those corporate execs (with no paid holidays, no vacations, no sick days), and still not be able to afford to feed their families, pay the rent, get decent medical care. And if you’re on Government Assistance, you can lose your benefits even if you get a part-time job.
It’s also entirely possible that those “working poor” are doing jobs that are far more necessary to society than the CEO’s. But since it’s often work that anybody can do, those who do them are, individually, expendable. Don’t hope for advancement, don’t hope for improvement in working conditions (or even safety), don’t hope for dignity. And you damn well better not organize, or you’re out on your ear.
Unless they’re in their basements changing lead into gold, the fortunate don’t make their fortunes in a vacuum. If nothing else, they’re reliant upon the existence of a healthy middle class that can afford to buy their goods and services. Yes, they DO have an obligation to “give something back”, because if society goes down they go down with it.
Hillbillyman about 13 years ago
As long as they are not ….giving back…to the low life lazy’s that would work in a Pie Factory!!!
fritzoid Premium Member about 13 years ago
Lewreader, those who do that and succeed, bravo. But if everybody in the country had education and training for skilled jobs, we’d have a bigger glut of overqualified unemployed than we have now. Entrepreneurship, absolutely. But the vast majority of new businesses fail. If you go into debt to start a business, and your business fails, you’ve got less than what you started with, and your children lose the roof over their head that you mortgaged for your dream.
I’ve got nothing against the profit motive; I’ve never argued that a ditch digger and a neurosurgeon ought to receive equal wages for equal man hours. But as I said, wealth is not created in a vacuum, the individual thrives when the community thrives. And yes, I DO believe that a certain level, wealth becomes “obscene.” If you run a business and you make 100 times more than your least-paid employees, either you are grossly overpaid or your workers are grossly underpaid.