The Weekly
Rant
A Guest Post by Larry D. Smith
A Guest Post by Larry D. Smith
I am saddened by the recent posts
comparing the working poor’s desire to make $15/hr in comparison to the
military. First of all, we all have different backgrounds and experiences that
make us who we are. It seems to me it's very self-serving to publicly beat your
chest and extol your superior virtues for having flipped burgers at some point
in your life, but now look down on those who now work two jobs just to get by.
Make no mistake, I have made
decisions that were not in my best interest; however, I learned from my
mistakes and gradually moved on. As a Vietnam era vet, I can tell you first
hand that this country has not always appreciated military service to the
extent they do today. It is, at least, comforting to know that, sometimes,
things change for the better, but, at the same time, it amazes me how so many
of the 1% stick their chest out and say "that used to be
me". I think it even goes further than that..." I have kicked,
scraped, and clawed my way to the top and have no intentions of ever looking
back". If you subscribe to trickle-down economics then everything in the
world is as it should be, except that, "adjusted for inflation, the
minimum wage is currently 20% less than it was in 1967--which is why so many
people still eat at McDonald's".
By the way, what exactly are
Conservatives saying with their post? Screw the poor, give the military a
raise? I don't care about bottom-rung workers who are encouraged by their
employer to work two jobs and provide NOTHING in their theoretical budget for
heat? All this advice comes at a time of record profits. McDonald's CEO, Donald
Thompson, was awarded a compensation package totaling $13.8 million in 2012.
Company jet, stock options, etc. but no heat in the employee budget!
While I'm at it, I would like to
point out that there is a shopping list of additional pay our service members
receive. While accurate, the misleading post that references the lowly private
E1's starting pay as $18378/year ($1531/month) is incomplete. For service
members who are deployed to combat areas there is Special & Incentive pay
that includes up to $150/month depending on Quality of Life (fox hole vs. more
secure area), an additional $225/month for Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger,
$800/month Assignment Incentive Pay (involuntary extension), $150/month for
Hazardous Duty Pay (Parachuting, ordnance demolition, etc, a housing allowance
for when married service members live off-base ($1686/month), clothing
allowance, relocation expenses, a family separation allowance of $250/month and
finally, a family subsistence supplemental allowance that is meant to help
lower ranking enlisted with large families avoid food stamps. So, for all the
folks who instantly lap-up the Conservative disinformation, think again; with
the additional pay cited above, our troops can easily exceed $15/hour.
I strongly support every penny the military
receives, especially the lower ranks; however, the disingenuous nature of the
post, to which I am referring, only leaves one conclusion...screw the poor. In
fact, if you look at the stats, the McDonald's workforce is increasingly
comprised of FAMILIES, not just single teens. Oh, and FYI, McDonald's workers
are being paid $14.50/hour in Australia! Let's be honest about this...the
minimum wage isn't going to double over night. There are still some states in
the south that have NO minimum wage, while some like California and Washington
have voluntarily gone to the $10 minimum mark. Many states have increases
planned for the next couple of years that will get the minimum to $10/hour. So,
for the 1% who can't fathom an almost livable wage of $15/hour, I say, where is
your compassion for your fellow Americans? Would the increase in the price of a
burger prevent you from buying that new car? I doubt it. In fact, I suspect
that most of the people sharing the referenced post don't even eat at McDonald's. As far as I'm concerned, the mask is off, many of those who have dug
themselves out of poverty with hard work have, in fact, forgotten their roots.
There is a big difference between being a lazy benefit seeker and working two
jobs that still won't get you to a basic level of subsistence.
There is still plenty of unemployed
who were once managers making a comfortable upper middle-class living. Because
the economy tanked due to sub-prime mortgages and "too big to fail",
the layoffs hit with a vengeance. A situation, from which, we still haven't
recovered. By Conservative standards, all those workers are now fodder under
their heels. They have had their unemployment benefits extended how many times?
Many still can't find work and have stopped looking. So, where are we? We now
have an even larger base of McDonald's class workers that the right wing
doesn't care about (at least as evidenced by the original thinly disguised
"patriotic" post).
So, as an Independent and a
moderate, I say to you, go ahead, post on, but rest assured, there are plenty
of us sitting on the fence who have seen the true face of the greedy. I
challenge all the "Constitutionalists" to explain how the taxpayers
should be saddled with the debt and resulting economy created by private
investment companies. According to what I've been reading and hearing, the same
scenario may rear its ugly head again in the not too distant future; but that's
OK, at least those McDonald's workers were held in check.
