Top Heavy

[Winnie]

Both the rich and the poor are getting richer. I can assure you that when the rich don't get richer the poor won't either.

Why does it have to be us against them? It's okay if some people are happy working for someone else all their lives in a secure, steady job. It's also okay if someone else is happy amassing a fortune by taking risks and putting themselves on the line. Heck, I don't mind if someone wants to live under a bridge and drink liquor all day. To me, that is just as valid a choice as joining Peace Corps or entering politics. The beauty of a free country is your right to choose which life you prefer.

"The poor" is not a static group. Most people begin poor then create their wealth. Very few stay poor.

Young, unskilled people earn less. It is particularly bad now since minimum wage increased. This has caused a larger unemployment rate in the young and unskilled workforce than in the general population.

This is from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) who's study found an increased gap between rich and poor in over 3/4 of its member countries. The US is one member.
Income inequality and poverty rising in most OECD countries

But new ways of tackling this issue need to be found, Mr Gurr?a said. ?Although the role of the tax and benefit system in redistributing incomes and in curbing poverty remains important in many OECD countries, our data confirms that its effectiveness has gone down in the past ten years. Trying to patch the gaps in income distribution solely through more social spending is like treating the symptoms instead of the disease.?

?The largest part of the increase in inequality comes from changes in the labour markets. This is where governments must act. Low-skilled workers are having ever-greater problems in finding jobs. Increasing employment is the best way of reducing poverty,? he said.

Mr. Gurria is OECD Secretary-General.

If we want to help "the poor," we need to help businesses grow and prosper. When we harm business, we harm the poor even more.