Question:
It looks like I am the first person to post a message to this news
group! I would like to touch on the low quality of Idaho jobs and
employers. I did work for a local Boise company for sixteen years who
is now pretty much manufacturing over seas. They provided good benefits
and a wage of about twelve dollars per hour which is a pretty fair wage.
I decided to change careers and it didn't work out. I ended up working
for a local semiconductor company who helped aggravate a back condition
I had, caused me to have an operation, and then fired me. Anything for
them to make money, right? Idaho law lets these companies fire, hire,
discriminate and lie pretty much when they please. The law is called
the, "Right To Work Law". Yea, the right to work for low wages and no
benefits.
There may be lots of jobs right now, but it's pretty difficult to get by
on $7 dollars per hour, let alone minimum wage. I think it's time for
Labor Unions to move into Idaho, or for Government to get off their ass
and pass new legislation to increase wages to a living wage, which
reflects costs of living in geographic areas.
I know many business say they cannot afford to pay more in wages and if
that's the case, maybe we don't need those kind of businesses anyway!
By paying low wages they increase problems in society like lack of
medical care, lack of dental care, proper nutrition, bankruptcy,
poverty, inadequate housing, homelessness.
Many manufacturing jobs are going overseas. Companies say they are
having a difficult time competing in a global economy. Tariffs are
coming down as to help this global economy. If you ask me, we have
always had a global economy, French wine, Russian caviar and vodka,
European and Japanese automobiles and many others. What the legislation
allows is for corporations to take advantage of developing countries low
wages. I say, why not have tariffs and imported goods and make new
legislation for American companies that basically say's, if you can't
build at lease fifty percent of the product here, then you can't sell it
here. If that happened you would see mass migrations of companies back
to the United States.
I believe legislation should enforce certain wage and benefit standards
for people who are on the low end of the economic wage scale across the
nation, not just here in Idaho. One saying I kind of like is, "Give a
crook a chance to break the law and he will". Give someone, anyone a
chance to legally take advantage of someone else, and human nature,
realizing what it is, will win out. Provide stiff monetary fines for
offenders of economic crime and they might just get the message!
If anyone reads this message I hope they understand what I am saying. I
am saying I am tired of Special Interest Groups with the most money
swaying the peoples' public servants opinion and getting legislation
passed that doesn't really help the people. It's time all of us stand
up and get the ball rolling and become the untapped power we really
are! I urge you to write your elected officials and tell them who the
boss is. Tell them you want some changes in wages, benefits, and laws
to support basic human rights for fair pay and benefits in Idaho and
this great country. It's time for a change!
Answer:
Bigger, more oppressive government and tons or new regulations will never
solve any problem. The government screws up everything it touches. The
more it does, the more it screws up. This is not the solution to your
problem.
