Don’t petition the White House, Use Change.org

Nov 18, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

Secessionists. I first want to say thank you for finally learning something from history. The last time so many desired to rid themselves of a tyrannical president they declared war on the Union. Thus, your use of a peaceful means through petitions on the White House’s site is commendable. Furthermore, each state now finds themselves represented by a petition and signatures from people possibly wanting to secede from the United States. Texas leads the way with more than 100,000 people asking the White House to address the issue. This is the same state governed by Rick Perry who drummed up his base of supporters with calls for seceding prior to his Republican bid for President. The irony seemed lost on him. Governor Perry is obviously not a viable option to lead the cause. He hardly put up a fight against a weak group seeking his party’s nomination. I also question...

The Country Moved to the Left Last Night

Nov 7, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

The whole campaign season did not just depend upon the presidential race that finally came to an end last night. Yes, the country voted clearly to give Barack Obama another four years in the White House. He received more than 50 percent of the vote and won handily in the electoral college. Yet, it is what happened down the ballot that shows the nation’s move toward progressive values. It appears that Democrats will pick up a couple seats in the lower chamber but the real change happened on the senatorial level. Voters said no way to Republicans Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock after they attempted to scapegoat women and downplay the trauma of rape and sexual abuse. Furthermore, women won in Massachusetts, North Dakota, Hawaii, and Wisconsin for their first terms. All four of them will be more progressive legislators than their predecessors. In Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin will be the...

Republicans, Rape, Life, and Control of Women

Oct 24, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

During last night’s Indiana Senate debate the Republican candidate, Richard Mourdock, did more than stick his foot in his mouth. I believe life begins at conception. The only exception I have for to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother. I struggled with myself for a long time but I came to realize life is that gift from God, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape. It is something that God intended to happen. Mourdock joined a club made exclusively of Republicans but a club that seems to be growing as the November election nears. Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh made a reprehensible comment about exceptions for the life of the mother following his debate. “There is no such exception. With modern technology and science, you can’t find one instance.” Complete crap as this woman explains. Of course who can forget Missouri...

A More Educated and Older Low-Wage Nation

economy / politics

May 8, 2012 Aaron Krager 1 Comment

Reading the site often enough should give you the impression that I care about workers, their rights, and wages. People should be paid well for the services they provide to their employer. Sadly, that is just not happening here in the United States.

According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research the United States ranks first in its share of low-wage employees. A true testament to our transition of becoming a service economy. Nearly a full quarter of all workers earn less than two-thirds of the median income. The United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and Germany all sit closely together but trail us by more than four percentage points.

chartwages

John Schmitt of CEPR notes that our minimum wage is too low and doesn’t push up wages in general.

“In France in the mid-2000s, for example, the minimum wage was set near the country’s low-wage threshold and that country had among the lowest levels of low-wage work in the OECD.”

The other problem comes from the global race to the bottom. We simply moved good paying jobs out of the country in exchange for cheaper goods.

The result means too many people earning poverty wages even in a full-time job. The federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 while even a position paying $10 an hour would only mean $20,000 a year. Meanwhile that low-wage portion of our workforce keeps getting older. Yes, older and more educated.

Maybe you thought low-wage jobs were for part-time workers, teenagers, and for the lazy. You would be wrong.

In 1979, more than a quarter of low-wage workers were teenagers. By 2011, it was cut by more than half, down to 12 percent. The only other age group that lost even a tiny a share of low-wage workers in those years was people 65 and over, who went from 4.6 percent of the low-wage workforce to 4.2 percent. Every other group—meaning people in their prime working years—grew as a percentage of the low-wage workforce. People ages 35 to 64, in particular, shot from 30.8 percent to 38.1 percent of workers earning $10 an hour or less.

Ten percent of those earning ten bucks or less also have a college degree. Good luck paying off the student loans with that gig.

Now tell me that this doesn’t matter. It incredibly personal to millions of hard working Americans and it is knocking on your door too.