I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today
By
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To the editor:
Those of us old enough, remember Popeye’s pal, Wimpy. Wimpy was a very overweight but seemingly honest person. I will use the Wimpy character to help illustrate some points I would like you to consider.
In a previous opinion, I stated that while I was envious of public employee compensation, I was not resentful of such. These employees negotiated a wage and it was agreed to by their employer. Generally, the employer was a politician we elected (though “we” in this case is only about 30 to 35 percent of eligible voters). I am neither defending or condemning these employees, their deal is what it is.
In my scenario, Wimpy is the government, bloated overweight and seemingly honest. And you guessed it, the guy making the hamburgers represent the public employees.
Well, Tuesday, is rolling around and Wimpy being the obese and lethargic person he is, has not conserved his resources so he can’t or won’t pay for those hamburgers at the agreed upon price. Wimpy was also taken aback by his pension investments with the Wall Street meat eaters. So what to do? I am less concerned with the higher salaried people though Wimpy made a promise to them, too, but would rather focus on the people actually sweating over the grill frying for Wimpy.
Since these hamburger makers have been victimized in the past by corrupt Wimpys and their corporate masters, they decided to get together and set a fair price for their burger making skills. They seen how the private sector burger fryers improved their pay and working conditions through uniting to collectively negotiate compensation. I mention this connection because it would seem all unions are now under attack from GOP Wimpys, and are being portrayed as being inherently evil. Well, of course the GOP Governors, Lawmakers and their corporate benefactors want to dissolve unions across the board. Just a cursory look at their voting record on bills and amendments dealing with this subject will reveal that fact. The GOP knows that union organizations represent a large Democratic voting block, their corporate gods, who they worship, can get the hamburgers made cheaper leaving them more money to dine on steak.
Tuesday is almost here. What to do about this dilemma? Well if you’re a Republican, Lawmaking Wimpy its simple. You just pass a law reneging on your promise of payment, and ban collective bargaining. That way, Wimpy no matter how well his pay might be and how wasteful he is, he can still enjoy the hamburgers cheaply. ( be careful, somebody might have spit on it though)
What a novel idea. I wonder how I could use this power? Lets say my car needs the engine rebuilt. I go to Bill over at Auto Tech and tell him I need an engine rebuilt. Bill is highly skilled and I know the job will be done correctly. We agree on a price for his work. Ironically, he said I could pick it up on Tuesday. Tuesday rolls around, I go to Bill to get my car, but since I’m low on funds (those golf junkets, mistresses, and bridges to who knows where aren‘t cheap you know), I tell Bill I can’t pay him the agreed upon price of repair. But since I have the magical wand of legislative power, I just take my car, and tell Bill I’ll pay what I want, regardless of what we agreed on. Hey, I think I’m on to something here. My wife (who can’t swim by the way) has always wanted a swimming pool. I could get a fancy new pool for a contracted price. Then wham, bam, wave my wand and tell the pool guy I’m voiding our contract and paying you what I want.
While these examples might be a little far-fetched, the principle remains the same. Just because Wimpy wasted a lot of money when he was flush doesn’t make it right to not pay for his hamburgers.
The propaganda spewed by these Wimpys is false. Unions are beneficial to all working class people. Just as the minimum wage is a use as a basis of compensation for low skilled workers. Union wages have been the basis for higher skilled workers. True, in some cases union workers make more than non-union workers, but if not for the union’s efforts every worker would be making a lot less and with less benefits.
Let's examine some facts relating to the working class, the GOP and corporate greed.
In 1955, union membership was at its peak at around 35% of workers. In that year, the average executive while making more only received a 1.8% increase in pay. That same year hourly manufacturing workers got an increase of 5%. Between the years 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% accounted for a 33% growth in income. During that same period, the bottom 90% accounted for a 67% growth in income. With the decline of union membership to today’s figure of about 12 to 14 percent what has happened? In the period between 2000 and 2007 (the Bush years), the richest 10% accounted for a full 100% of income growth. The average income of the bottom 90% of households actually declined.
In 1965, the average CEO was paid 24 times the average worker. Today it is over 350 times the average worker. While I’m not economist, I see that when unions were strong working class people got a little bigger piece of the pie. When less people were involved in the bargaining process, workers faired a lot worse. Jerry Reed said it best, with changes. “They got the gold mine, workers got the shaft.”
Hard working men and women have made this country what it is, the GOP and their greedy corporate counterparts would do well to remember that and quit demonizing the working class. Like our revolutionary ancestors, there may be a limit to what we will endure.
Sincerely,
Ken Rentz
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]
Those of us old enough, remember Popeye’s pal, Wimpy. Wimpy was a very overweight but seemingly honest person. I will use the Wimpy character to help illustrate some points I would like you to consider.
In a previous opinion, I stated that while I was envious of public employee compensation, I was not resentful of such. These employees negotiated a wage and it was agreed to by their employer. Generally, the employer was a politician we elected (though “we” in this case is only about 30 to 35 percent of eligible voters). I am neither defending or condemning these employees, their deal is what it is.
In my scenario, Wimpy is the government, bloated overweight and seemingly honest. And you guessed it, the guy making the hamburgers represent the public employees.
Well, Tuesday, is rolling around and Wimpy being the obese and lethargic person he is, has not conserved his resources so he can’t or won’t pay for those hamburgers at the agreed upon price. Wimpy was also taken aback by his pension investments with the Wall Street meat eaters. So what to do? I am less concerned with the higher salaried people though Wimpy made a promise to them, too, but would rather focus on the people actually sweating over the grill frying for Wimpy.
Since these hamburger makers have been victimized in the past by corrupt Wimpys and their corporate masters, they decided to get together and set a fair price for their burger making skills. They seen how the private sector burger fryers improved their pay and working conditions through uniting to collectively negotiate compensation. I mention this connection because it would seem all unions are now under attack from GOP Wimpys, and are being portrayed as being inherently evil. Well, of course the GOP Governors, Lawmakers and their corporate benefactors want to dissolve unions across the board. Just a cursory look at their voting record on bills and amendments dealing with this subject will reveal that fact. The GOP knows that union organizations represent a large Democratic voting block, their corporate gods, who they worship, can get the hamburgers made cheaper leaving them more money to dine on steak.
Tuesday is almost here. What to do about this dilemma? Well if you’re a Republican, Lawmaking Wimpy its simple. You just pass a law reneging on your promise of payment, and ban collective bargaining. That way, Wimpy no matter how well his pay might be and how wasteful he is, he can still enjoy the hamburgers cheaply. ( be careful, somebody might have spit on it though)
What a novel idea. I wonder how I could use this power? Lets say my car needs the engine rebuilt. I go to Bill over at Auto Tech and tell him I need an engine rebuilt. Bill is highly skilled and I know the job will be done correctly. We agree on a price for his work. Ironically, he said I could pick it up on Tuesday. Tuesday rolls around, I go to Bill to get my car, but since I’m low on funds (those golf junkets, mistresses, and bridges to who knows where aren‘t cheap you know), I tell Bill I can’t pay him the agreed upon price of repair. But since I have the magical wand of legislative power, I just take my car, and tell Bill I’ll pay what I want, regardless of what we agreed on. Hey, I think I’m on to something here. My wife (who can’t swim by the way) has always wanted a swimming pool. I could get a fancy new pool for a contracted price. Then wham, bam, wave my wand and tell the pool guy I’m voiding our contract and paying you what I want.
While these examples might be a little far-fetched, the principle remains the same. Just because Wimpy wasted a lot of money when he was flush doesn’t make it right to not pay for his hamburgers.
The propaganda spewed by these Wimpys is false. Unions are beneficial to all working class people. Just as the minimum wage is a use as a basis of compensation for low skilled workers. Union wages have been the basis for higher skilled workers. True, in some cases union workers make more than non-union workers, but if not for the union’s efforts every worker would be making a lot less and with less benefits.
Let's examine some facts relating to the working class, the GOP and corporate greed.
In 1955, union membership was at its peak at around 35% of workers. In that year, the average executive while making more only received a 1.8% increase in pay. That same year hourly manufacturing workers got an increase of 5%. Between the years 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% accounted for a 33% growth in income. During that same period, the bottom 90% accounted for a 67% growth in income. With the decline of union membership to today’s figure of about 12 to 14 percent what has happened? In the period between 2000 and 2007 (the Bush years), the richest 10% accounted for a full 100% of income growth. The average income of the bottom 90% of households actually declined.
In 1965, the average CEO was paid 24 times the average worker. Today it is over 350 times the average worker. While I’m not economist, I see that when unions were strong working class people got a little bigger piece of the pie. When less people were involved in the bargaining process, workers faired a lot worse. Jerry Reed said it best, with changes. “They got the gold mine, workers got the shaft.”
Hard working men and women have made this country what it is, the GOP and their greedy corporate counterparts would do well to remember that and quit demonizing the working class. Like our revolutionary ancestors, there may be a limit to what we will endure.
Sincerely,
Ken Rentz
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]