A Living Wage

Socialist Democrats are very dangerous because they want to destroy democracy and capitalism
as we know it. The young congressional members wanting to get their share of fame, power and
wealth. They want to tax the wealthy with a higher percentage which would literally take most of
their income. Their reason? to distribute the country’s wealth among the people to make society
more equal. However, the vast majority of the money would not go to the middle class, but to
those in poverty and immigrants, both legal and illegal, in order to gain their vote, thereby
keeping our government under Socialist control.

“depression, psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia and narcissistic traits are all

significantly more common in unequal societies.”1

Rather than get into the weeds with them, let’s take the high ground.

Instead of making the top 1% pay more taxes to distribute among the middle and lower class’
maybe there is another way of doing that without government interference. You know if the
government taxes the very, very rich , that money is not going to the middle class’!

“inequality affects the vast majority of the population, not only the poor
majority.”2

Wouldn’t it be great if stockholders insisted that corporations provide a living wage to all
employees? Make the employees a partner by their labor. After all the stockholders own the
companies and have control over them, if they want too.

A way to equalize income would be if stockholders gave up some of their yearly earnings on
their investments…and, companies pass on a percent of the balance of profits that they keep
stock piling away each year.

“closing the wealth gap between the highest- and lowest-income citizens
reduces the cost and impact of health and social problems, such as violence
and drug abuse, for an entire society.”3

There needs to be a way of guaranteeing a living wage to the middle class whereas at the same
time not restricting the ability of entrepreneurs from reaping their monetary entitlement for
innovative talents.

“the economic impact that cripples a society that cannot create a reasonably
balanced distribution of wealth.”4

Maybe it’s time to require stockholders to accept only half of their yearly dividends and
corporations provide a fair percentage of retained profits given to their employees, in addition to
their wages…kind of like a fair return on their investment of labor. No more Corporations
hoarding billions of profit yearly. Bonus’ at the end of the year is helpful, except the money is
needed monthly to help cover expenses.

“the United States is not “the land of opportunity,” but one of the world’s
most unequal societies, offering less upward mobility than most other
economically developed democracies.”5

Side Note: Saturday, February 15, 2019 Delta Air Lines announced as part of their
annual profit-sharing program they will pay out an average of $16,000 in bonus’ to
each of their 80,00 employees. So, there is at least one Corporation helping their
employees with a living income.

“Stress caused by inequality leads to anti-social behavior along all class lines,
from poorest to richest.”6

Tech company employees in programing and research are well off, making in the six figure
income, and some even more, while support employees make far less. Its time they take some of
their billions they make each year and help out the other employees. With the billions of dollars,
the large corporations are now making it results in their ability to make sure everyone of their
employees has a living wage.

Instead of paying a living wage many corporations take their billions in profits to acquire other
companies and then lay off employees due to redundancy in positions. Thereby saving millions
of dollars and transferring it to their bottom line. Executives of large corporations’ primary
responsibilities are to increase sales and profits, as well as growing in size and profits through
acquisitions. This may be good for the stockholders and the executives, but not so good for the
employees.

Anyway, it’s an idea, so maybe business and the government need to get together and work
something out because it would put the money into the pockets of those who earned it.

“the rise of inequality since the end of the 1970s has intensified status
competition and consumerism.” . “Thorstein Veblen coined the term
“conspicuous consumption” to describe how Americans’ purchases
“expressed their social status aspirations”.7

This has resulted in unrest, when it’s no longer possible for the next generations,
through government interference and corporate greed.

How a living wage might work:

Using a family of four as an example. If your yearly income is less than,

say $65,000, then you should be making at least that amount.

A living wage for:

 Housing (rent or purchase) $24,000; Clothing for four $4,800; Food for
four $9,600; Transportation (Automobile) $6,000…two cars $12,000;
Vacation time $4,000; Utilities $7,800 (includes cable and the internet);
Miscellaneous $3,600. This does not include a provision for property taxes
and income tax liability.

This comes to $65,800 yearly or $5,483 monthly. Rounded off at $5,500

would be a living wage. This of course would depend on each ones living
style, based on their station in life and location in the country, but should
allow each person to elevate themselves upward.

In addition, maybe a bonus at the end of the year to cover some niceties of life.
The amount would depend on the level of employment and efficiency in work
responsibility.

Also, there should be a yearly pay increase that exceeds inflation…inflation at

1.5%, pay increase would add 2.5% for a total increase of 4%.

We have no expert knowledge about current wages and living cost today because we’ve been out
of the work force for 24 years…this example is only to get people thinking. It could be higher or
lower, depending on the conditions today.

And maybe It’s time to break up the large corporations. Many are gaining control over our life’s
and government through their vast power in size and lobbyist employed by them, i.e. look at
Google and Amazon for example.

Smaller business’ of course is another issue.

1-7From the book “The Inner Level” written by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. They
reviewed several hundred studies expounding on the subtitle: “Why Greater Equality
Makes Societies Stronger,” and came to the breakthrough findings listed in this article, and
their book.

February 23, 2019

© Copyright 2019 William Royal Horton. All Rights reserved.
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