Public Comment
Happiness for the Needy
People who are well placed often look down on those who are needy. Right now we are in the middle of a tense debate over the minimum wage. The Democrats want the minimum wage to rise soon so fewer indigent people will need to depend on government subsidies. But our Republican friends hate this idea.
They forget that over the past twenty years “real” wages (in terms of purchasing power per dollar of wage) have gone down rather than up. Prices have gone sky high. A worker with a take home of 45 or 50 dollars can no longer feed a family of four.
It is very easy to say people must learn new skills to get decent jobs. But who will feed their family while they go to school to improve their skills? The wearer knows where the shoe pinches. Those who live in mansions can easily ignore the poverty of others.
If we really want happiness around us we must provide resources to those who lack basic necessities. Our politicians should not block the higher minimum wage initiative. Without wages adequate to feed the family how can the Constitutional guarantee of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness prevail?
