INCOME INEQUALITY…..IT’S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME!

INCOME INEQUALITY…..IT’S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME!

(Brian Montopoli, John Sutter, Robert Shiller, Huffington Post)

(John Christoffersen, Al Jazeera, Philip J. Victor, U.S. Census Bureau)

(Dennis Gilbert, Paul Krugman, Tom Kertscher, Josh Harkinson, Frazer Chronicle)

President Barack Obama again prodded Congress, this time challenging the lawmakers to raise minimum wages and secure the social security net. The president issued an overarching appeal yesterday to correct economic inequalities that he said make it harder for a child to escape poverty. “This should offend all of us.” “We are a better country than this.”

During the State of the Union speech last year, the president called the issue “the defining issue of our time,” but not once during his addressing the issue did he utter the phrase “income inequality.” Perhaps that’s because income inequality is one of those alliterative word pairs everyone’s heard of, but few fully understand.

Maybe the president used terms that wouldn’t confuse us, as he used terms more familiar to us, phrases that we can identify with, phrases like the American Dream, or the basic American promise, as he put it. During the 2012 speech the president also said that “if you work hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.”

Income inequality isn’t new…..it’s been around ever since one man went to work for another…..the working man has always felt short changed at the pay window. Mr. Obama yesterday called the problem of inequality our “defining issue to keep the promise alive.” He continued “No challenge is more urgent…..no debate more important.”

Okay Mr. Prez, I agree…..to a point, I think most of us working stiffs would want a better wage, more disposable cash, but, sir, answer me this query…why is it that only rich people talk about income equality once in a while? I’ve never quite figured that one out…..the millionaires club that occupies all branches of our government, almost. In reality how can any of these people…..or enough of these guys understand not having enough money for cigarettes, a six pack of Budweiser or milk for that baby, I’ll tell you…..they can’t, it is an impossibility.

INCOME INEQUALITY

In simple terms it is the unequal distribution of household or individual income across the various participants in an economy. Income inequality is often presented as the percentage of income to a percentage of the population, for example, a statistic may indicate that 70% of the country’s income is controlled by 20% of the country’s residents.

This condition is often associated with the idea of income fairness, which actually does not exist in the workplaces of the United States, or for that matter the world. The causes of income inequality can vary significantly by region, gender, education and social standing. Economists are divided as to whether income inequality is ultimately a positive or negative, and what are the implications of such disparity.

The understanding by authority figures and those economist pundits that track these questions and conditions have what can only be called a distorted view of not making enough money. Take the president…..for instance: he’s paid annually a $400,000 salary, has a $50,000 allowance, a full time medical staff, and upon retirement, has round the clock security, medical insurance, and a $199,000 retirement benefit. In addition the president has a wife, 2.5 kids and the usual mistress…..or three.

Another great gig is to be elected as either a Senator or Congressman, starting pay is $174,000, plus paid medical care insurance, a travel snippet and a luxurious off, a fully paid staff, good looking wife, plus 2.5 children…..and a mistress…..or two.

Now I’m not begrudging these people their salary or their perks, all I can say is that “I want the same,” hell I’m opinionated, and I’ve spent years at not accomplishing much…..and I sure would dig a mistress or two.

Kidding aside, my point is really simple, small, medium or large business, these are the real culprits with regards to income inequality…..why do they do what they do with regards to pay…..because they can, it helps their bottom line, and after all…..U.S. business is all about that bottom line.

HOW IT WORKS IN THE 21^ST. CENTURY

There’s no secret, no smoke and mirrors, or some ominous handshake, across a wide-range of employment in the United States today, the rate of pay for a particular job is about the same. “No way you say,” well, I’m glad we have a disagreement, sure certain areas of the country pay more for the same job, but ya gotta take away living expenses.

If you’re a machinists making $25 an hour in White Plains, New York, it’ll cost you a portion of your paycheck to live there. Now if you’re a machinist in say Paterson, New Jersey, and you make $15 an hour, it’s gonna cost you less in living expenses…..so the two jobs in different states, and different cities kind of even out…..like tube of toothpaste…..toothpaste is pretty much the same throughout the United States…..for brand name paste.

People expect for their supervisors, shift managers, and those workers with seniority to make more money, people also expect the company owners to make more than anybody else connected with the business, after all, they’re the ones taking the chances, and stand to lose the most if the business goes belly-up.

There is a basic disconnect that goes on in the United States every single day of the country’s work week, it’s an attitude, a detachment, from the different levels of work-place officials. A goodly share of management has worked their way up through the ranks…..but suddenly, when they are promoted to management, they seem to close a door of understanding with regards to the common worker! Missed along the way of ascent is the fact that supervisors and shift bosses are supposed to be a conduit between upper management and the labor work force.

But now there is another problem with mid-level management…..it’s called the old ass cover, you worry about your butt, and I’ll worry about mine. With little exception there isn’t a bridge between the levels of employment, or management.

 

DID YOU EVER PEE INTO THE WIND

I’ve pissed into the wind…..once, and got wet, President Obama is pissing into the wind and his shoes are wet…..and getting wetter. Income inequality has been a corner-stone of our working society for hundreds of years, our ancestors came from Europe to escape servitude, brutality, low wages and the freedom of church.

Our banking system was based on European practices; our artisan population made a better rate of pay then those who grunted for their pay. Until our political atmosphere makes a drastic change…..until the president quits pissing in the wind, and until small, medium and large business and industry change their collective attitude…..talking and the minimal legislature that is proposed by lawmakers will continue to be a study in futility.

HAVE A NICE DAY!