Poverty and Economic Inequality II

Have you noticed it seems to be harder and harder to "make it" in this country? Many work more than one job to make ends meet. It's more difficult now for small, independent stores to be successful. I've lost track of local businesses that just weren't able to continue operating. Along with giving people more economic stress, I feel we're also losing something. If everything is a franchise or a branch of a chain, we're becoming more homogenized, losing local character and color. Decisions will be made in corporate headquarters that may not be the best ideas for local situations. And of course, our choices are becoming more limited, since not all manufacturers can meet the demands of big retailers.

Here's a very thought provoking article by Richard Manning who writes from Montana. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Birdie!

I keep saying that businesspeople need to take a cue from Henry Ford. I wouldn't call Ford a great humanitarian, but he did possess a good sense of pragmatism. When asked why he paid his workers as much as he did, he replied that he wanted them to be able to afford the cars they were making. I wish we had more of that mentality today. As many have said, the minimum wage needs to become a living wage.