Sunday, March 01, 2009
It's Time for American Workers to Get a Chance
I’m sick and tired of big corporations and businesses getting their way while workers get the shaft. Look at the American car companies. Instead of using their profits over the years to create new innovative models with high mileage to compete with foreign car makers, they squander the money paying big salaries to the executives that make that money thanks to the workers. The government is bailing these companies out for the sake of the workers. However, I see most of the moves that will be made by the car companies to regain solvency will be as a way to break the United Auto Workers union, so that they can force the workers into lower wages and little benefits. I am sure other big corporations are waiting to see what happens so they can break any unions they deal with or can get away with paying their workers even less. American workers better watch out and get more vocal about their rights, or they will become like the wage slaves of China and other developing nations. With the tanking economy, I believe it is time for change in the corporate world. Money needs to get into the hands of workers, not concentrated into a few wealthy people.
The owners, CEOs and stock holders of corporations have had it good since the Reagan era. Tax cuts and deregulation have allowed them to get away from paying decent wages or benefits. But we have seen that trickle down economics do not work. Greed, selfishness and exploitation have led to top heavy management making obscene amounts of money while workers are eliminated or see cuts in pay and benefits. Profits are gobbled up by the owners, CEOs and stock holders so they can live the high life while the middle class is eroding away and more people are slipping into poverty eah year. How should things change? There needs to be a change to favor American workers and people. The greed, selfishness and exploitation factors need to be removed from the equation.
First, I think that corporations need to shift their priorities with profits. They should be required to put most of their profits back into research and development to spur innovation, and to increase the wages of their employees, not the upper management. Companies have forgotten who has made them successful. They exploit the productivity of their employees who are the ones that produce the product or service the corporation is making their profits on. For example, the American car companies should be using thier profits to develop new higher gas mileage or alternative energy cars instead of lining the pockets of management and stock holders. The attempts at bringing down the union should be stopped. The workers are not at fault for the companies being in trouble.
Second, corporations need to start paying their workers a decent living wage that keeps up with inflation. Businesses are complaining that consumers are not buying products now. They do not seem to see that if wages keep decreasing while prices increase, no one will be able to buy anything but the basics like food. Corporations that outsource jobs to increase thier profits should pay some sort of tax penalty for the unemployment they create. They take jobs away from American workers in order to avoid paying high wages and benefits while continuing to profit from selling their goods or services to American consumers. They are getting a doubly unfair advantage by getting their cake and eating it too.
Next, there needs to be a return to the idea of how economics is supposed to work. Prices are supposed to be based on supply and demand with competition between companies keeping prices low for consumers. Instead, companies are trying to control markets to favor them. For instance, look at professional sports teams. These teams are run as a private business. Yet, every time they want a new facility for their team, they want the local taxpayers to pay for it whether they use the facility or not. Why don’t these teams put their profits into the new facility or get a loan to pay for their own facility and leave the taxpayers out of it. The playing field needs to be leveled. Banks should base loans to anyone based on the traditional idea of only making loans to those who can eventually pay it back.
Finally, there needs to be a fairness in taxes. I do not like them either like anyone else, but I know they are necessary for government and to help people. By fairness, I am speaking of the wealthy. I am tired of hearing the wealthy getting away from paying their taxes due to loop holes. More disgusting are the ones who hide their assets in offshore banks or live in other countries in order to avoid taxes while remaining American citizens. I feel that if they want the privileges and rights of an American then they should pay thier taxes. If they choose to avoid them, they should be stripped of their citizenship.
The owners, CEOs and stock holders of corporations have had it good since the Reagan era. Tax cuts and deregulation have allowed them to get away from paying decent wages or benefits. But we have seen that trickle down economics do not work. Greed, selfishness and exploitation have led to top heavy management making obscene amounts of money while workers are eliminated or see cuts in pay and benefits. Profits are gobbled up by the owners, CEOs and stock holders so they can live the high life while the middle class is eroding away and more people are slipping into poverty eah year. How should things change? There needs to be a change to favor American workers and people. The greed, selfishness and exploitation factors need to be removed from the equation.
First, I think that corporations need to shift their priorities with profits. They should be required to put most of their profits back into research and development to spur innovation, and to increase the wages of their employees, not the upper management. Companies have forgotten who has made them successful. They exploit the productivity of their employees who are the ones that produce the product or service the corporation is making their profits on. For example, the American car companies should be using thier profits to develop new higher gas mileage or alternative energy cars instead of lining the pockets of management and stock holders. The attempts at bringing down the union should be stopped. The workers are not at fault for the companies being in trouble.
Second, corporations need to start paying their workers a decent living wage that keeps up with inflation. Businesses are complaining that consumers are not buying products now. They do not seem to see that if wages keep decreasing while prices increase, no one will be able to buy anything but the basics like food. Corporations that outsource jobs to increase thier profits should pay some sort of tax penalty for the unemployment they create. They take jobs away from American workers in order to avoid paying high wages and benefits while continuing to profit from selling their goods or services to American consumers. They are getting a doubly unfair advantage by getting their cake and eating it too.
Next, there needs to be a return to the idea of how economics is supposed to work. Prices are supposed to be based on supply and demand with competition between companies keeping prices low for consumers. Instead, companies are trying to control markets to favor them. For instance, look at professional sports teams. These teams are run as a private business. Yet, every time they want a new facility for their team, they want the local taxpayers to pay for it whether they use the facility or not. Why don’t these teams put their profits into the new facility or get a loan to pay for their own facility and leave the taxpayers out of it. The playing field needs to be leveled. Banks should base loans to anyone based on the traditional idea of only making loans to those who can eventually pay it back.
Finally, there needs to be a fairness in taxes. I do not like them either like anyone else, but I know they are necessary for government and to help people. By fairness, I am speaking of the wealthy. I am tired of hearing the wealthy getting away from paying their taxes due to loop holes. More disgusting are the ones who hide their assets in offshore banks or live in other countries in order to avoid taxes while remaining American citizens. I feel that if they want the privileges and rights of an American then they should pay thier taxes. If they choose to avoid them, they should be stripped of their citizenship.
Labels: conservatives, main street, Obama, Republican, unions
# posted by Freedomstar @ 6:59 PM 
