I revere stark poverty; I admire squalid living conditions; I envy never-ending hopelessness; I relish rampant crime. I support extremely high infant mortality rates, ghastly poor health amongst children and adults alike.
For, I enjoy my piece of the pie and I not only don’t care about you missing your just desert, I fervently hope you never have one.
Seem a bit harsh? Perhaps, even colossally insane? How about precisely what it is - extraordinarily short-sighted and inhumanely self-centered.
The comments in support of all these claims are plastered all over the Net, on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, etc. People enjoying the fact that they are at least comfortable, if not well off.
These hoarders worked hard for what they have and, if by the luck of birth, they are fortunate enough to advance through life with minimal resistance to success, they don’t see why anyone else should have a piece of that success. Even if it costs them little or nothing.
Hell, even wild animals aren't that selfish; they hover over only their kill to ward off others, not the entire herd of gazelle.
Minimum Wage in the United States has been a topic of contention for more than a century, with change finally succeeding as early as 1912 with Massachusetts passing the first wage law, followed by thirteen more states and the District of Columbia.
With the help of organized labor and federal wage laws, the wealth gap in the US began to decrease for six decades. The standard of living in began an upward movement as housing, health, and even simple creature comforts became accessible to the average American. Everyone was generating success, happily sharing the pie.
Then along came the new poor mans folly, championed by a very wealthy, successful politician with little regard for the plight of the poor. Welcome to “Trickle Down Economics,” an economic idea which states “that decreasing marginal and capital gains tax rates - especially for corporations, investors and entrepreneurs - can stimulate production in the overall economy.”
While this is as full of holes as a down-range artillery target, it is only a theory, all be it a very faulty one. However, due to it’s main progenitor, it grew in popularity, along with his attacks on organized labor and the common man.
Worshiping at the alter of ignorance, the nation’s workers turned their backs on organized labor and began dismantling the very thing that gave them an edge in the battle for wealth equality.
The US worker began bulldozing virtually every gain they made prior to the 1970s; every inch of progress erased. All on the whim of a silver screen icon; our hard-working laborers are stuck in Horror House on Highway Five.
"Unions were necessary at one time, but no longer."
Kind of like having a pacemaker and feeling better, you order it removed; isn't it?
And now, the work of tens of thousands who tried to decrease the wealth gap in the US, is disappearing.
The really weird thing about this? The same folks who complain about wage inequality are the very same who say they no longer need unions. Whaaaaat? Forget the dying heart, use that damned defibrillator on their heads, perhaps it'll revive some of their dead brain cells.
And of course, they want the entire herd of gazelle, not just their own kill.
“They” don’t need raises (I already have mine)! “They” are comfortable enough (I already have my comfort)! “They” don’t need expensive health care (I already get mine through work)! “They” don’t need equal opportunity (I already had mine when I was born)!
Yet, when “they” must rely upon entitlement programs simply to survive; “they” don’t need assistance using my tax dollars?
Those of you wishing others ill won't take even a moment to analyze what you’re arguing against; so I've done it for you: With a raise of $3.25/hr in the federal minimum wage and using the BLS numbers as recipients, we’re talking an increase to ALL industries combined within the US paying minimum wages of $11.7 billion.
Now; if we apply this cost to McDonald’s ALONE, we would see an increase of $2.02 per hamburger (JUST HAMBURGERS, no other food stuff from McD’s included).
And; if we spread that out over the top burger sellers; McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, Arby’s, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Hardees, Carl’s Jr., and the 7 remaining major burger chains (total of 16 considered) the average impact on burgers alone would be a paltry $0.32 per burger. And that, as indicated, is for BURGERS ONLY; this doesn't include the plethora of other food things sold by these 16 fast food businesses.
Nor does it include any of the other fast food businesses such as pizza chains, sandwich chains, Mexican food, Chinese food, etc. which would share the burden.
In essence; how would the increase in the minimum wages impact the businesses which would carry the bulk of the burden? How would it impact you? So little it wouldn't even be worth your time to calculate the change. In fact; it only works out to $0.46 per shopping trip at Walmart to give them a raise to $10.00/hr.
With the poverty level for an average family size of 3.14 according to the 2010 census (and yes, many families are depending upon minimum wage earnings now), the proposed raise to $10.10/hr would barely lift the average family above poverty level and that’s IF they work a full time job = 2080 hours per year.
"They deserve a break today," so, rather than wishing them ill-will, stop pissing and moaning about $0.46 and give it to them?
