Economic Imperatives Confront a Living Wage

I read Barbara Ehrenreich’s Aug. 5 Opinion piece with some interest (“America’s Torrent of Need”). I would point out that living on my salary has its challenges, too. There’s no shortage of people who want some of what I make. Most of them are considerate enough to at least call me on the phone and ask for it politely (I get three or four such calls a day). But people like Ehrenreich don’t seem content with that approach. They would prefer that someone take the money from me without my consent and redistribute it according to some perception of need; preferably, the state government or the federal government.

No sooner would one of these agencies take an even bigger bite than the five figures they get annually from me today than Ehrenreich, or another of her ilk, would discover people even more needy than the ones who just helped themselves to a nice chunk of my paycheck. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs--what a horrible system.

Andrew Borman

Ridgecrest

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If each one of the millions of Americans who works full-time but still makes poverty-level wages wrote just one letter to his or her congressman about it, getting a national “living wage” law passed would be a cakewalk. Until our public servants know how we feel about this issue, they’re going to keep mistakenly using the Dow as an indicator of our economic health while ignoring the day-to-day reality of the workaday majority, working harder than ever, for less.

Chris McCann

Venice

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Ehrenreich presents our society with two options for helping “needy” parents: raising wages or greatly expanding government programs. She neglects a third option: parents taking responsibility for family planning and waiting until they can afford to raise children in the style of life they feel is appropriate.

Bryan Stone

Los Angeles