surfshoptom

It's bad because the playing field isn't level. It's bad because those at the top have rigged the game. Do you disagree?

rrforster12 Loc: Leesburg Florida

In my opinion, a corporation is free to spend its money in any way that the shareholders approve. If they believe that an individual is worth the incredible salary's that some receive because of the job they are doing then so be it. It is their money! That is not the same situation that we have with government employees at the top level. Congress can, and does continuously vote ITSELF raises with tax payer's money, and our President who seems to have an unlimited and self-determined expense account (which is also tax free for the most part) as does the hierarchy of our Congress. Why was it OK for Pelosi to fly home to Frisco every weekend at a ridiculous cost to taxpayers on a government 767 airliner rather then say a Gulfstream? Simply because she chose to. Rather then being upset by CEO's (who are directly responsible to their Board and Shareholders) we should be directing our ire towards those that actually work for us, and are abusing their positions.
We had a Revolution and supposedly got rid of Royalty, but somehow our leaders have reimposed it all, just under another name.

surfshoptom

Agreed. I think with few or no exceptions, all of Washington is corrupt. They don't work for us. They work for their largest campaign contributors. And they make they make all the rules. It's those rules that make it possible for the folks at the top to stay at the top and further distance themselves from the poor and middle class. It's not capitalism. It's not fair.

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

The army has EQUAL PAY.
an E1 makes the same as ALL E1, irrespective of how hard you work or how much you skate.

Those that work hard get promoted to E2, and E3 and so on.

People thqat earn minumin wage can increase their income by working harder, smarter, demonstrating initiative, taking on extra responsibilities

If you earn min wage iyt is because you aint WORTH paying more

rhitmrb Loc: Portland, OR

The minimum wage has not kept pace with what Americans produce.

TimS Loc: GA

Yes. I believe the playing field IS level. It's just that some of us are better at playing on that field than others.

I was reading a story on yahoo the other day of a 15 year old girl who started a business selling blinged out sandals a couple years ago. Her sales last year were several million dollars. She is set for life because of her ingenuity, ambition, and (to a certain extent) luck.

In this country, you are only limited by yourself. In this country, kids growing up in the ghetto can (and do) become multi millionaires by doing something well (like sports and music). In this country, a janitor can walk onto a baseball team and wind up being an MLB rookie sensation and secure the starting catcher position on an MLB team (E. Gattis). Or a poor girl living out of a car with her mom singing in bars just to survive could become a successful musician (Jewel). Or a kid without a college education could become head of one of a business with enough cash reserves to bail out the entire country of Greece (S. Jobs).

So, yes, I disagree. Perhaps you can help me out by educating me how I am wrong.

rhitmrb Loc: Portland, OR

You could start by recognizing that these anecdotes are the exception rather than the rule.

rrforster12 Loc: Leesburg Florida

Actually, the productivity chart reflects the degree of automation and computerization that has been introduced over the years, and has very little to do with the productivity of those at the lower end of the wage scale. The minimum wage is reserved for those that are capable of, or provide only minimum relative productivity. This is not meant to put the low-end workers down, it's just the way the value system works. Raise the minimum wages paid and all other wages will inevitable rise by a comparative percentage. Again inevitably, when the cost of production rises, the cost of goods and services rise. (inflation)
Inflation is ONLY good for the government. Thats because since the government takes a percentage of all wages, its "take" rises commensurately, and as it prefers, rather stealthily. Unfortunately, for the worker, it is like a dog chasing its tail. It can never catch up.

rhitmrb Loc: Portland, OR

I have never gotten a raise because of an increase in the minimum wage.

Inflation is good for everybody - it encourages people to invest, rather than store money in bank accounts doing nothing. It does have some negative effects, which need to be balanced, like by raising the minimum wage to match.

TimS Loc: GA

Seeing as there are not a heck of a lot of uber wealth people, sports stars, musicians, and actors are not an insignificant portion of the total number of millionaires on this country.

But if they are the exception then kindly describe what the rule is.

rhitmrb Loc: Portland, OR

The rule is that class mobility is lower than it has ever been in the history of this country.

Twardlow Loc: Arkansas

A B S O L U T E L Y !!!!!!!!!

surfshoptom

Between 1979 and 2007, after tax income grew by:
275% for the top 1%
65% for the next 19%
40% for the next 60%
18% for the bottom 20%
...
in 2012, income grew by:
20% for the top 1%
1% for the next 99%
....the gap between the richest 1 percent and the remaining 99 percent is the widest it's been since the 1920s.
This is not the result of a level playing field. It's the result of legal corruption. It's laws which favor corporate profits and the wealthy.

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

your government at work, think SPECIAL INTEREST, you know, like Obama giving UNIONS exepmtions form the laws WE must abide by.

Stop special interest, replace it with NATIONAL interest, things will change

BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida

You should also add,

Or "you could become a multi-millionaire by buying a $1 lottery ticket and guessing all the numbers right."

Your initial premise is right, you are more likely to get ahead by showing perseverance, working hard, and applying yourself at your job (and luck and personal connections has much more to do with it than successful people like to admit), but the bottom line is that for the average person, the playing field isn't equal so you better prepare yourself for that reality as well.