Wednesday, December 06, 2006

So whose job IS it to provide for higher wages and health care?

"The people," according to Dave Johnson at the Huffington Post.

Whenever liberals start talking about "the people" having a right to something that's going to cost money, I grab my wallet because I KNOW that "the people" are going to demand more of the money I (well, ok, my husband) earn.

Companies MUST work to provide the highest profits. Therefore WE must set a playing field that provides the greatest benefit to US from this system. WE must level that playing field on which the companies compete. We MUST tell them to pay higher wages or the system doesn't benefit us. WE have fallen down on the job, not the companies, by not doing OUR part, through our government, which is to set the minimum wages and benefits at a level that is high enough. And that is why wealth is concentrating at the top and the rest of us are working longer hours for fewer benefits.

It always sounds nice and empowering whenever someone tells "the people" to rise up and DEMAND that the government do this or that. But when I look at this issue (higher wages and health care) all I wonder is: Who pays? And I think we know what the answer to that question is.