Living On The Edge
by J. Vincent Martin

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that there seems to a bit of a problem with our economy. I’m not slamming the president, the poor guy is doing the best he can with what he has. Unfortunately, none of the other politician’s speech writers, democrat or republican, seem to know what to do either. You see, now that everybody is making $7.00 an hour, how exactly are we going to come up the twenty grand to buy a new car when the old one is finished. If we can’t, most of us won’t be able to get work anymore. In that case, there will no longer be a need
to have anyone making new cars, or anything else for that matter. Of course, there are used cars. However, with seven bucks an hour, how long are we going to be able to afford all of those constant repairs and increasing insurance rates.

True, there are still a few eleven dollar an hour jobs out there. You can get one those after ten or fifteen years with the company. But how many people actually last that long with a company these days. Then again, there are those sixty,eighty and hundred grand a year IT jobs, too. However, those are also quickly becoming $7.00 an hour jobs in the third world countries, and here, too. Do you
see a problem?

Sure, we no longer have $40,000.00 a year jobs, but we do have a .04 plus
something % mortgage rate. So all you have to do is bank that $245.00 a week
and in a little more than a year you’ll have that fifteen grand down payment for
your house. During that period though you’ll have to give up food, forget medical coverage, live on the street, and then off course, deal with that car thing.

Now people use to start out making $7.00 an hour, and eventually were able to buy houses and cars. That was because they use to get ten, fifteen or twenty dollar a week raises every year. Then again, they would go with another employer from time to time who was offering a few bucks more. Eventually they would end up making a decent salary. So with time, everything seemed to work out in the past. These days though it’s an eight cent and hour raise every year or three, if you’re lucky. Of course, you still have employment mobility, too. You can still quit your seven dollar an hour job and go with another employer. Then you’ll be
making, seven dollars an hour? Wait a second, that can’t be right? Unfortunately it is. Are you beginning to see the problem?

There’s another nice thing about the new seven dollar an hour economy. You no
longer have to deal with the headaches of overtime, time and half or double time. You see now you’re on call now 24/7. That’s right, take Thursday off and come in Saturday night, or, next week we need you to work from 12 to 8 instead of 10 to 6. Don’t worry, it still comes out to only 35 hours a week. Now, I’m not sure, but I think they use to call that slavery or something. You know where the overseers
own all of your time and provide for shelter and just enough food to keep you
alive. You have no disposal income, of course, but you still have the ability to pick enough cotton to keep the masters and overseers in luxury. But there’s a little problem with this, too. You see, with everybody picking cotton for food and shelter, who’s going to have the money to buy all those cotton shirts and dresses?

Here’s the real scary part. The government has decided that solution is to have everyone in the work force get an associate degree in information technology at their local community college. In fact, they’re planning on giving community colleges lots and lots of money to make that happen. Then we’ll have a highly skilled work force that can compete globally. How much will we all be making with this powerful new education behind us? Let’s see, figure about seven dollars an hour, if you can find work. But that should keep us quiet for now. In fact, that sounds like a solution I heard Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan present to at a congressional social security crisis hearing several years ago. The question was, “What are we going to do about this impending crisis?” For to with Mr. Greenspan replied, “Well, we’re taking a look at issuing equity certificates to social security beneficiaries. Something certifying that you have X amount dollars in your social security account.” The inquisitor quickly countered, “And that will fix the problem?” Mr. Greenspan paused for a minute and smiled, “No.”

Now I’m an old man and I don’t have the answers. Unfortunately, my brain is too
old and tired to figure it out. But I do know the answer is not communism or
violent revolution. Here’s a little hint though. Read about Teddy Roosevelt and the Trusts. You see, in the end I’m afraid it’s going to be up to you young people to solve the problem. My best advise is, start working on it soon. If you don’t, then you better start saving that seven bucks an hour. You ‘re going to be needing it for airfare to a third world country. If this keeps up, the US is going to be a fourth world country in the not so distant future. At least in a third world country, you’ll still be able to earn that seven bucks an hour, once you get your master’s degree.

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