Editor, The News:
It seems that many people are hopping on a wall street protest without really understanding what they oppose.
Certainly the issue of corruption needs to be always addressed, even if it is very low in this country.
The issue of very high pay for CEOs should also be addressed –but equally should be the high pay for celebrity stars and sports players.
A large part of the protest has to do with those who are unemployed or earning very little. These people feel entitled to a greater share of the wealth.
People complain they should be paid more. People are entitled to a good living wages. They say it is not right that people must survive on minimum wages. They say companies should not cut costs by paying cheaper wages overseas.
These companies must cut costs so they can offer products for cheaper prices or they will not survive. If they do not survive, no one gets paid.
I like companies finding cheaper ways to produce products. I like the idea of paying less for better and better products. So do all these protesters.
They shop in big-box stores and buy the cheapest import products.
A company can’t pay more money because “it is the right thing” and compete in a global world.
To justify this by implying profits are too high or management should get less is simplistic thinking by those who know little about how business works.
The fact is, we have a world-wide surplus of unskilled labour competing with one another.
The only way unskilled workers can justify increased wages is to increase their worth to the person paying them money.
We have a shortage of skilled workers.
Ambitious and skilled people earn more money because they are worth more by contributing more to the GNP of a nation.
While many people have made bad choices in early life or have limitations in their abilities to increase their education or motivation, most can make efforts to complain less and work at self-improvement.
Opportunities for greater wealth are so great in this country. Unfortunately, a sense of entitlement is used too much to justify unwillingness to seek better opportunities by contributing more to productivity.
Dan Banov
Maple Ridge