To the Editor:
The other day my friend and I were discussing what was happening in the world of inequality.
She said, “I have no problem with people making money, I just think they should pay their fair share in taxes.” Later it struck me that when people say they don’t care about others making large sums of money, they forget the circumstances of when making money is okay and when it is not okay.
Inequality is not only driven by financial circumstances, it is the result of injustice in courts, injustice in treatment of one another and the legal ability for some to commit criminal acts without consequence. Financial inequality was bought with a change in our laws – laws that punish a 90 year old pastor for feeding the poor in Florida parks, laws in 29 states that would put a loving and abused mother in prison because she could not physically stop her abusive husband from beating the kids, and the laws that jail the poor for not being able to pay a $1,000 parking ticket.
Wage theft seems to be a preferred method that rewards CEOs with multi-million dollar salaries. First the theft comes from under payment (at or below minimum wage) of employees, and then theft from the taxpayer for the shortfall in a living wage. Walmart even helps their underpaid employees to file for welfare as they continue to make enormous profits. Other corporate theft includes abuse of working hours, nonpayment of overtime, scheduling shifts to avoid health benefits and/or overtime, and it goes on.
Are we happy when others earn more – yes of course we are happy for them and we strive to achieve the same. We are not happy when wealth is stolen from the majority of citizens.
Wealth is acceptable when it is acquired by our efforts and not at the expense of others. Labor laws that defined reasonable hours of efficient work – 40 hours/week – overtime if there is an emergency, and minimum wage, are now being eroded without a vote and with apparent impunity. Making money is okay except when it is by theft.
