Minimum Wage

I've written about this before and recently. I just came across a statistic that stunned me. This is it:

            “Myth: only teenagers make minimum wage.

 Fact: of the American workers directly impacted by a minimum wage increase,

 85% are age 20 or older.

             26% are parents, and 49% work full-time hours.

 Over 10.9 million children have a parent who would be helped by a minimum

 wage increase.

             It’s time to Raise the Wage!”

                                                ~Economic Policy Institute

Lest we slough off this issue too quickly, let me remind you what Greek Philosopher Plutarch said:

“An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”

The imbalance builds resentments and may lead to class warfare. It is the seat of unrest and something democracies need to guard against.  This is not an issue of socialism but rather one of justice. Besides, those who labor at the lower wage rates and more menial tasks need hope that life will get better for them. They need the hope but also the will to make the hope possible. The rest of us have work to do to ensure that their hope is realistic and attainable.  We can even help them in practical ways. As people of faith and values we have a responsibility even to do this sort of work. 

It will make our community stronger. Our nation will be buttressed. It is all good!

Along this journey our society will teach most people this simple adage:

            “Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing,

             And your attitude when you have everything.”

                                                ~Author Unknown

Ed Schultz of Msnbc advises us of this point:

            “Sticking up for workers is fundamental in this country.”

I know Ed is a pulsating liberal to many people, but that does not diminish the value of his statement. Our national history is not one of wealth accumulation; rather it is one of workers’ rights and opportunity. We support public education so our labor force is well trained and intelligent to handle the work of the country. We invest trillions of dollars over decades to educate and reward people to be adaptable, to spot the emerging trends which will catapult our economy to the top of the heap. All of this investment builds toward a society that enables talent and achievement by individuals. The rest of the nation benefits from employment, higher standard of living, adaptability to change and a just and fair social order that constructs quality of life.

With quality of life we can accomplish much. Together. It is its own reward. And so much more pleasant than fighting every little thing at all times.  Think about our state legislatures and Congress. What a monumental waste of time, talent and national treasure!

We can do better. Much better. It is up to each of us to make it happen. No one person is to blame. In fact the blame game needs to end.  The game we should focus on is ‘envisioning tomorrow’. It’s much more worthwhile than our current pastime!

August 8, 2013