Letter to the Editor: Frustrating
BY John A. Osborne, Tulsa
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12/12/12 at 3:30 AM
Our current economic situation nationally and in Oklahoma is extremely frustrating. We have business executives and many greedy investors doing everything they can to reduce labor costs: eliminating and/or reducing retirement and health care plans; refusing to pay a "living wage" and opposing any increase in the minimum wage; reducing full time employees to part time; etc. This enhances executive compensation, bonuses and investor returns.
They, and conservative politicians, fight for smaller government and less taxes when they are forcing more and more working families to rely on "safety net" programs such as food stamps and school feeding programs, Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security for retirement, better public schools, college and vo-tech tuition assistance, etc.
There are certain essential entitlement programs that have to be provided by government if they are not going to be provided by the private sector. You cannot reduce essential services in both sectors at the same time. I much prefer a responsible capitalistic system to a socialistic welfare state but people are entitled to a decent standard of living.
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