I Am The 53% #OMJ

  • I am a child of a divorced family.
  • Growing up, my family qualified for free and reduced lunches.
  • I got my first job, literally, for my 10th birthday.  I’ve been collecting a pay check for 33 years.
  • I took out student loans to get through college
  • I worked 20-30 hours a week to get through college
  • I paid back my student loans
  • I once offered to work for free for two weeks in order to secure a job.
  • I later managed that business.
  • When the technology start-up company I worked for went out of business, I moved 1,200 miles.
  • To secure employment as a cafeteria cashier.
  • AND I worked a second job as a wedding bartender.
  • AND I worked a third job, on weekend days, as a bartender at a Ground Round.
  • For more years consecutive than I care to think about, I’ve worked my allotted number of yearly hours by the month of August.
  • I’ve purchased hundreds of dollars of books and trade magazines to remain educated in my field.
  • When there is no one else to go to, I raise my hand.

I am the 53%.  And I will do what I always do:  Occupy My Job

 

 

 

2 responses to “I Am The 53% #OMJ

  1. But as someone who worked 30 hours a week through college (60+ in summer), did assembly line summer work in grad school, took out and paid back student loans, and always took pride in my willingness to do any job if I must, and to do it well, I don’t see myself in the same boat as those hot shot financial know it alls are able to manipulate the game to make out big time, and then try to pretend like it’s all the fault of the poor. It should not be those of us who work hard and do well for ourselves vs. those who can’t find work or work hard for a lot less money. We should both be demanding that the wealthiest Americans not circumvent the normal rigor of a market economy and stack the deck in their favor, manipulating markets and the economy in a way that has a disastrous effect on everyone. The poor workers who often work 40+ hours a week but still don’t earn enough to pay federal taxes didn’t cause the recession or set up a financial house of cards.

    To be sure, most of the wealthy people are not those inside traders and schemers, but people who worked for achieve success. Most of the people who pay no federal taxes are not lazy poor folk who are parasites off others. Most work hard and by dint of their careers or opportunities just have a vastly lower income. But I bet a lot of the poor have done and are willing to do the things you did. They may not have the natural brains or gifts to make it work like you have, or perhaps they were hit with a lack of opportunity. But I believe most want to work and make a life for themselves.

    • I don’t see myself in the same boat as those hot shot financial know it alls are able to manipulate the game to make out big time, and then try to pretend like it’s all the fault of the poor. It should not be those of us who work hard and do well for ourselves vs. those who can’t find work or work hard for a lot less money. We should both be demanding that the wealthiest Americans not circumvent the normal rigor of a market economy and stack the deck in their favor, manipulating markets and the economy in a way that has a disastrous effect on everyone. The poor workers who often work 40+ hours a week but still don’t earn enough to pay federal taxes didn’t cause the recession or set up a financial house of cards.

      Me either. But listen. We’re trying to build a system that favors virtually all of us. Knowing that we’ll never get to 100% equality, at what point is the good worth not being the perfect?

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