7 ways to narrow the rich-poor gap

[A Little Weird]

I'm only on briefly for my lunch break but I was so shocked to see an article on CNN dealing with inequality that I had to post it.

I'm a little unsure of the rules on what can be posted. I included the list of 7 things but all the detail is at the link. Hope that's ok.

Income inequality isn't inevitable. As economists and the president have argued, it is the result of bad policies that favor the rich and leave everyone else struggling.

The income gap is too wide for our own good. Here are seven ways that can and should change:
1. Break down the social barriers
2. Improve public schools; unify them
3. Raise the minimum wage to 1960s levels, at least
4. Tax the rich at a reasonable rate
5. Give workers a voice in their companies
6. Reign in crazy-huge donations to political campaigns
7. Give money to the poor -- maybe at random

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/opinion/sutter-solutions-income-inequality/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

[ck4829]

1. Birth control and universal access to contraception is an eighth way

[rurallib]

2. Excellent point - I would add Unions and negotiation

of course there would have to be some tariffs or other sensible taxes for imports.

[A Little Weird]

7. True

I'm surprised that wasn't listed.

[joeglow3]

3. My thoughts (some will get me in trouble)

1. Break down the social barriers

-I agree 100%

2. Improve public schools; unify them

-I agree, but this one that will get me in trouble. At least here, the current system is broken. In many ways, the school systems is more and a bigger "good 'ole boy network" than any company I have witnessed. There is no accountability. We had a young girl sexually assaulted on the playground. The principal did NOTHING (not even notify the parents). When the dad found out, he went to the school and they would tell him nothing. When he pushed, they FINALLY called the police....on him. Once the media finally got ahold of it, some action was taken. And yet, the school board (I could give you MANY stories about how corrupt they are) voted the principal right back in.

3. Raise the minimum wage to 1960s levels, at least

-And index it to inflation.

4. Tax the rich at a reasonable rate

Yes. As a tax CPA, I am not a huge proponent of jacking them up too much. However, I do support a 100% inheritance tax rate on amounts over a certain, relatively low, number.

5. Give workers a voice in their companies

-Yes....to an extent. At the end of the day, if invest millions of my own money in the company and I alone stand to lose it all, I should get the final say. I would rather there were more options in the job market to allow workers to tell their company to pound sand if they needed to.

6. Reign in crazy-huge donations to political campaigns

-No fricking brainer. Sadly, this will NEVER change. 60 Minutes did a great piece recently about how there is bipartison support for keeping this corrupt system in politics (and their example were equally disgusting on the left as they were on the right). Even more sadly, this was posted here multiple times and generated LITTLE discussion. As much as people like to bitch about this, it will NEVER change unless they demand it. Politicians profit waaaay too much from it.

7. Give money to the poor -- maybe at random

-Sure

[A Little Weird]

5. Corruption

I agree the current system is broken. But I think the public schools should be fixed rather than dumped in favor of private or charter schools. Many of those systems are corrupt as well.

[paulkienitz]

4. #4 is all we really need

the rest will follow.

[A Little Weird]

6. I agree that it's the most important. n/t

[leftstreet]

8. Nationalize banks, healthcare, energy, utilities, transportation

etc. etc. etc