Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Who's Good Economy?
Although the economy as a whole grew by nearly five percent last year, the party in control of the Congress and the presidency is in a poor position to make political capital from it. At times, the White House seems almost puzzled by its inability to take credit for the good news.
Of course, what's good for Exxon is not necessarily good for American voters. Last year, while Exxon racked up record breaking profits of $27 billion in a single quarter, real wages for American workers actually decreased by 0.7%, after inflation is taken into account.
According to US Census Bureau figures released earlier this year, the numbers of Americans living in poverty also increased last year. This at a time when states all around the nation are slashing Medicaid budgets, leaving the poorest and most vulnerable citizens without critical health services.
Poverty, living wages and Medicaid are all issues for people of faith. The Christian Bible speaks about social justice issues and poverty far more often than any other topics.
The conflict between the politics of greed and the politics of sharing may never be resolved. Our system of charges us with finding a middle ground, where people who are unable to help themselves receive the minimum needed for survival, and the rest of us work to provide for them and ourselves.
The fundamental problem of politics remains: who gets how much? In a growing economy, the workers who make it grow must get ahead. Otherwise, a political price will eventually be paid.
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Of course, what's good for Exxon is not necessarily good for American voters. Last year, while Exxon racked up record breaking profits of $27 billion in a single quarter, real wages for American workers actually decreased by 0.7%, after inflation is taken into account.
According to US Census Bureau figures released earlier this year, the numbers of Americans living in poverty also increased last year. This at a time when states all around the nation are slashing Medicaid budgets, leaving the poorest and most vulnerable citizens without critical health services.
Poverty, living wages and Medicaid are all issues for people of faith. The Christian Bible speaks about social justice issues and poverty far more often than any other topics.
The conflict between the politics of greed and the politics of sharing may never be resolved. Our system of charges us with finding a middle ground, where people who are unable to help themselves receive the minimum needed for survival, and the rest of us work to provide for them and ourselves.
The fundamental problem of politics remains: who gets how much? In a growing economy, the workers who make it grow must get ahead. Otherwise, a political price will eventually be paid.
