March 18, 2013

A family member sent me this video:http://mashable.com/2013/03/02/wealth-inequality/

This is my response. You may not want to read it as it will likely offend everyone. If you are thinking "it's those democrats" or "it's those republicans" you are wrong. It's all of the above. We need to open our eyes and have a look at reality. If I haven't offended you yet, there is potential that you might be able to tolerate what I wrote here.

I had a couple of problems with this video. Obviously, there is too much wealth in the hands of too few Americans. But the video made no suggestions about what to do about it. I think we have to ask ourselves why the poor are poor. Sometimes it is bad breaks, but more often, lack of education, lack of motivation, drugs, etc., etc.

So what can be done? Redistribute wealth? Just to give money to the poor won't help anyone, it creates dependency. Training programs for the poor. Good idea, some of that has been successful. But if we train a poor person to be retail clerk or a home healthcare aide, they'll now be working poor. We might come to the point of more self-respect and the feeling of making a contribution, but it doesn't really solve the problem.

Better education? Yes. This is one place where we can make a difference, but legislation on both sides of the aisle wants to take funding of schools from failing schools and give it to schools the top 10% . Won't that make a difference? We've spent millions on this program that would save education: charter schools. What have we learned? Top charter schools attract the top 10% and so they do better. Charter schools that draw in failing students are low end charter schools. Humm, that's the same result we had with public schools. We spent hundreds of millions to learn that? Charter schools are great. They provide some attractive options, but they haven't proved anything educationally.

What worries me and what is a much more significant problem that wealth inequality is the debt. Do you know that each of you grandchildren owes $56,000 to the federal government and will have to pay it someday. You and I owe the same amount, but won't have to pay it because we don't have a lot of years left and our grandchildren will take on our share.

I feel the "system" is milking me dry and I receive a Social Security entitlement every month. I'm part of the problem!!!

So where is the problem? It's not really with the rich. For the most part they work hard and deserve what they get. I think we should tax them at a higher rate than we do now, however.

The problem? It is with the democrats... and the republicans. It is with two political parties that are so interested in protecting their turf that nothing gets done. It's with a president and a congress who will not work together and just want to spend, spend, spend. It's with a president who with the opportunity to make small cuts does ridiculous things that will hurt the American people. It is with a group of "patriotic Americans" who will not compromise on anything for the good of the country. They may not get re-elected.

Can you imagine Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan or even Bill Clinton allowing this to happen? Not a chance. Barak Obama has allowed it to happen. I was hoping for better in his second term. We don't have a lot of leadership from the other side. I am generally and optimist, but things don't look good.