Is "Work" The Cure For Poverty?
I listened to 5 minutes of the Sean Hannity Show today, and it was enough to aggravate me. Today, Sean was broadcasting live from Dallas, Texas and he made a silly statement to a live crowd on how we can end poverty in America. "Go to work," Sean said. Rednecks cheered.
Go to work? Easier said than done. First of all, jobs are still down in this country. George W. Bush is still the second President in 50 years or so who has not gained one net job during his Presidency. In fact, the amount of jobs being created under George W. hasn't been able to keep up with the amount of the population entering the workforce each month. The second problem is that the Republicans are AGAINST raising the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. The last time we had a minimum wage increase in this country, we had a Democrat as our President.
With a minimum wage of $5.15, a person can work full time (40 hours a week) without holiday or sick pay and only make roughly $10,721 dollars a year, BEFORE taxes. Many argue that people of such low income don't pay taxes, but that isn't true. They may not pay federal taxes or minimal federal taxes, but they still have to pay payroll taxes, so all of that $10,721 isn't even theirs. The poverty level for a two-person household in America is currently at $12,831. There is no excuse for this country for a person to have a full-time job and still not be able to support his/her family. It's disgusting.
16 of our 50 states have taken it upon themselves to raise their minimum wages higher than the federal level, New Jersey being one of them. In fact, New Jersey will be a full $2 over the federal minimum wage by 2007. 14 of the 16 states with higher minimum wages voted for John Kerry. Just two states that raised minimum wages voted for Bush in the last election. So work alone won't cut it, Sean. Not if your fellow Republicans can help it.
Also, the number one reason for personal bankruptcy in America is health care for sudden illness or accident. A person earning minimum wage can not afford health insurance which will cost a two-person housebold approximately $8,000 a year. Incidentally, the Republican-controlled House voted to make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy and get a second chance at the American dream. Once again, it is the REPUBLICANS that are making it harder for a working family to get out of poverty. Those are YOUR people, Sean. The same people who are AGAINST universal health care for all Americans, even though we are the ONLY industrialized nation in the world without it.
Sean's answer to having people earn more money is for them to "find their God-given talents and put it to good use." Oh really, Sean? Is THAT the answer to making more money? If everyone was able to get lucky enough to find a unique talent that paid a lot of money, then who would ring up your coffee and bagel in the morning? who would empty the wastebaskets at a small store? Who would sort the mail at a small business? I know that many Republicans are screaming and yelling that illegal aliens should be booted out of the country, so please tell me, who will be doing these jobs if we all found our hidden special talent? We must make sure that even those who can't find a hidden talent or don't have a talent or don't have the fortune to have their talents realized by others can make enough money to support a family.
Sean Hannity is not a dumb guy. I do listen to him time and again and he sounds like a good man and family man. But sometimes he says really really stupid things that he KNOWS aren't true. Things that get a crowd of redneck hillbilly middle-America Republicans as well as the rich and lucky whipped up into a cheering frenzy. For Sean to be successful with Republicans, he HAS to lie to his audience by saying things like "going to work" will end poverty. He's too smart to tell them the truth and lose his audience.
Go to work? Easier said than done. First of all, jobs are still down in this country. George W. Bush is still the second President in 50 years or so who has not gained one net job during his Presidency. In fact, the amount of jobs being created under George W. hasn't been able to keep up with the amount of the population entering the workforce each month. The second problem is that the Republicans are AGAINST raising the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. The last time we had a minimum wage increase in this country, we had a Democrat as our President.
With a minimum wage of $5.15, a person can work full time (40 hours a week) without holiday or sick pay and only make roughly $10,721 dollars a year, BEFORE taxes. Many argue that people of such low income don't pay taxes, but that isn't true. They may not pay federal taxes or minimal federal taxes, but they still have to pay payroll taxes, so all of that $10,721 isn't even theirs. The poverty level for a two-person household in America is currently at $12,831. There is no excuse for this country for a person to have a full-time job and still not be able to support his/her family. It's disgusting.
16 of our 50 states have taken it upon themselves to raise their minimum wages higher than the federal level, New Jersey being one of them. In fact, New Jersey will be a full $2 over the federal minimum wage by 2007. 14 of the 16 states with higher minimum wages voted for John Kerry. Just two states that raised minimum wages voted for Bush in the last election. So work alone won't cut it, Sean. Not if your fellow Republicans can help it.
Also, the number one reason for personal bankruptcy in America is health care for sudden illness or accident. A person earning minimum wage can not afford health insurance which will cost a two-person housebold approximately $8,000 a year. Incidentally, the Republican-controlled House voted to make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy and get a second chance at the American dream. Once again, it is the REPUBLICANS that are making it harder for a working family to get out of poverty. Those are YOUR people, Sean. The same people who are AGAINST universal health care for all Americans, even though we are the ONLY industrialized nation in the world without it.
Sean's answer to having people earn more money is for them to "find their God-given talents and put it to good use." Oh really, Sean? Is THAT the answer to making more money? If everyone was able to get lucky enough to find a unique talent that paid a lot of money, then who would ring up your coffee and bagel in the morning? who would empty the wastebaskets at a small store? Who would sort the mail at a small business? I know that many Republicans are screaming and yelling that illegal aliens should be booted out of the country, so please tell me, who will be doing these jobs if we all found our hidden special talent? We must make sure that even those who can't find a hidden talent or don't have a talent or don't have the fortune to have their talents realized by others can make enough money to support a family.
Sean Hannity is not a dumb guy. I do listen to him time and again and he sounds like a good man and family man. But sometimes he says really really stupid things that he KNOWS aren't true. Things that get a crowd of redneck hillbilly middle-America Republicans as well as the rich and lucky whipped up into a cheering frenzy. For Sean to be successful with Republicans, he HAS to lie to his audience by saying things like "going to work" will end poverty. He's too smart to tell them the truth and lose his audience.