Wages

Another jobs report out today and another day for politicians to brag about  job creation and the growing economy.  It really does not matter which party is in power, the headlines would read the same.  Economy adds jobs, DOW rises, unemployment lowest in umpteen days….

But wages still suck, at least for most of us, and no one in either party wants to talk about this in any depth.

In neoclassical economic  theory, wages should be rising quite nicely as there is a demand for labor and a shortage of labor, but it’s not happening.  There are plenty of economists with additional theories as to why wages are not rising.   Here’s my guess as to why wages are not rising.

Neither party has respect for ordinary working class citizens.  Both parties place their bets on a different class of Americans as the driving force of our economy and therefor, most deserving or the fruits of that economy.

With Republicans, the bias is out in the open.  Wealthy people are seen as the job creators, the risk takers, the Captains of Industry and that it why they, and not their workers, are seen as critical to the economy, the nation, and the financial lifeline to the party.  Ordinary workers are still courted by the party, not with the promise of higher wages, but with the promise of social stands on abortion, marriage, guns, and so forth.  Ordinary working class Republican voters see themselves as cogs in a machine devoted to a higher cause and if that means lower wages, well, that’s a bullet they are willing to take.

With Democrats, the bias is there, it is just not as obvious.  Wealthy people are seen as the entrepreneurs, the highly educated, the innovators and risk takers and that it why they, and not their workers, are seen as critical to the economy, the nation, and the financial lifeline to the party.  Ordinary workers are still courted by the party, not with the promise of higher wages, but with the promise of social stands on abortion, marriage, guns, and so forth.  Ordinary working class Democrats voters see themselves as cogs in a machine devoted to a higher cause and if that means lower wages, well, that’s a bullet they too are willing to take.

I remain a Democrat but only because there is not a better option and only because of the two parties, the only signs of support, as feeble as it is, for the working class remains in the Democratic Party.  Still, it is eye opening to me to be viewed as a radical, a far left member of my party because I believe in  work, with all the moral and spiritual values that go with it; and with work, a reasonable measure of security--security for every family in the United States of America, not just the job creators and entrepreneurs.

What is a reasonable measure of security?  It is a living wage, a sustaining wage.  It is a safe, secure, and dependable Social Security. It is health care as the right of all citizens.  It is nation with a compassionate amount of family leave for its work force, a generous share of vacation time, a reasonable requirement of hours worked per week and, most importantly, a just and moral distribution of the wealth created by all members of the economy.

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