While pundits expressed shock at the fate of the poorest inhabitants in Katrina’s wake, the U.S. class divide is not breaking news. But several new studies reveal the chasm separating those living in abject poverty from those with unimaginable fortunes is growing fast. Big earners were the focus of “Executive Excess 2005,” a study published in September by the Institute… return to article
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Reader Comments (8)Page 1 of 1 pagesFirst step - index minimum wage to either inflation or, better still, congressional pay.
Second step - reinstate the estate tax.
Third step - recognize that poverty is typically caused by one of three conditions. Unwed mothers. Getting married before mid-20’s. Dropping out of high school. Use aggressive advertising to educate young people about these risks. Also use the schools to promulgate the message: “Stay in school, don’t have sex (or use protection!!!) and wait to marry until you can support yourselves.”.
Oddly enough, i imagine the third step to be most difficult for some to accept. People don’t like to identify and “blame” the victims, even when it can be the best thing to do. After all, it is their decisions that are one of the root causes, and furthermore the only root cause they can actually change.
Posted by wolf on Oct 3, 2005 at 8:45 AM From the article:
“Meanwhile, according to the latest Census Bureau data, the percentage of Americans living in poverty now stands at 12.7 percent, the high point of a steady four-year increase. From 2003 to 2004 alone, the number of people living in poverty increased by 1.1 million to 37 million.”Why pick such a narrow time fame. NAFTA was pushed through by Clinton and Congress (who get automatic pay increases each year) has had a joint venture with big business for decades.
Bush is no conservative, nor was his father. The Democrats who used to be the party of labor are equally to blame. The Republicans push globalization in the name of Free Enterprise and Free Trade while the Democrats tout the low price imports for consumers.
It should be remembered that to be a consumer one must first be earning a living wage. We now have a negative savings rate for the first time since 1933. We have record personal bancruptcies, and people spending their home refinancing cash.
The administration, Congress, and a long list of CEOs should be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by whattheheck on Oct 3, 2005 at 1:14 PM Wolf,
“First step - index minimum wage to either inflation or, better still, congressional pay.”It may even be better to base congressional pay on the average U.S. wage and benefits package. Wake them up to reality. Why should they have it so much better than those they “serve”?
Posted by whattheheck on Oct 3, 2005 at 1:25 PM Wolf,
I have a thought?
How about getting rid of minimum wage? Isn’t minimum wage a false bottom? Would anyone work for minimum wage if companies had to compete for workers? As it is, if somebody offers a worker $6 or $7 an hour, the person seems generous, when it still is NOT a working wage, even here in WV.And your third point??? All of that may have been true when the economy was good and people were still working for minimum wage because they had no skills, but frankly, I don’t know if it rings true any more.
Too many folks have been forced to work for wages alot less than their worth, with
it being “no fault” of their own, as your third argument seems to say.
And your second point...I half agree :)
Posted by robin on Oct 3, 2005 at 2:30 PM Robin,
“How about getting rid of minimum wage? Isn’t minimum wage a false bottom? “
We will essentially be getting rid of the minimum wage if we legalize “guest workers.” Unfortunately not what you have in mind. (Isn’t less than minimum an oxymoron?)
-------------------------------------------------------
“Would anyone work for minimum wage if companies had to compete for workers?”They will are in Mexico, China, India, and much of the world. As long as our economic policy is one of encouraging offshoring and rewarding the CEOs doing it we will be competing with the lowest common denominator while carrying the EPA, OSHA, Workers’ Comp, Child Labor Laws — all the things which took decades to get for public protection.
We cannot compete under the current conditions. In my experience printing shipped here from China costs ten percent of domestic printing. Check any of your recent coffee table books and see where they were done.
Take a look at “Insider Trading” on bigcharts.marketwatch.com
These guys often buy their options at 1/2 to 1/3 market price per share and sell the same day — pocketing millions each year. Every time they layoff people the stock jumps.
The image these companies project globally is pathetic. conditions for Mexicans working at US corps there are disgusting — Delphi is a great example.
Posted by whattheheck on Oct 4, 2005 at 8:10 AM Education is the key. Educate the poor (and not so poor) about birth control and money management. Educate consumers about responsible (social and political) purchasing. Educate them about where goods come from and under what conditions (sweat shops, child labor, toxic conditions). Money is the power and we as consumers have the power to refuse to buy.
While we’re at it, educate them on the political process and to seek out their own information not just what they see in advertising. Educate them to vote and keep in touch with what their elected officials are doing after the election. Educate them to write and call their elected officials when important issues are up for consideration. The voter’s responsibility does not stop at the ballot box, but many do not understand this.
Education is key in all realms. But if you educate the poor, what does that do to the super-rich?...The chasm becomes smaller and it is likely the wage gap would too.
Posted by glee on Oct 4, 2005 at 4:57 PM Education IS the key to a better life and an egalitarian society.Republicans are dleiberately frustrating the process.Elitists who feel that no one should have what they have are making sure it never comes about.
I don’t know anyone naive,or downright stupid, enough to honestly believe that elimination of the minimum wage will cause wages to go up instead of down.i guess they’re the ones who keep the lucky amulet industry humming.Hey, scamsters have to eat too.
Posted by wwoods on Oct 11, 2005 at 1:33 PM Wow, your article clearly shows how the present administration is exacerbating the class struggle and how so many more people are in poverty now than before.
Right?
Well, sure, until you look just a little bit harder. Take a look at the percentage of people in poverty in the US from 1992 till 1998 and it’s more than 1 % higher than the current rate. That’s certainly not a fair comparison is it? After all, George will be in office 8 years and Bill was in office 8 years. Does this mean that Bill was more racist or had fewer wealthy people? Hard to say, but you’ve got your slant and it’s a good one.
Look back to 1959 and 1960 and the poverty rate was aroun 22%. Are we perfect? No. Are we better than then? Yes. Are we better off than 8 years ago with regard to this one issue? Yes.
When you write this stuff, just tell us up front that the Bush hatchet is sharp and is going to get busy with this article. That way, we’ll know when we can simply tune you out.
Posted by Briar Patch on Oct 11, 2005 at 8:51 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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