What's A Decent Wage?

Since the Big Three bailout debate started there has been criticism of the auto workers wage of about $28 per hour, their medical benefits, and pension plans. What has been a surprise is that much of the criticism has come from other workers outside the auto industry: as if American workers are worth much less than $28 an hour. Another part of the "theme" about deserving benefits and wages has been the consensus that workers don't deserve medical benefits; that to be competative with other countries they must cut back on wages and benefits.

It seems that the American public has bought into Corporate Americas's propaganda that Americans don't deserve wages enough to be able to buy cars, houses, clothes, education, household appliances, pay taxes, and be able to save enough for retirement.

Corporate America has beaten the Unions, shifted its manufacturing to other countries, boughten off our government representatives, avoided taxes by off-shoring and tax loop-holes, and hiring illegal aliens for little wages; just to list a few ways the American worker (Middle Class generally) has be neutered.

What gets to me is the arrogance of Corporate America--that they expect to be able to engage in trade in the U.S. when no one has money enough to buy all the goods that Corporate America imports, or manufactures with cheap labor. Seems that Corporate America forgot that an affluent America is their best customer.

What is a decent minimum wage? And what about Medical Care? Apparently medical care is a luxury, for that is one of the benefits first slated to go in the Big Three bailout proposal. Would the Corporations then increase the wage enough for the workers to be able to finance their own mediacal care? What about other industries under the gun? How are American workers to finance their own medical care if wages go down or they are unemployed? By what I see medical care is about to become a fossil. Maybe free medical care should be done away with all around--including that provided to government workers and our representatives. Let them see what the results would be if Corporate America got its way in becoming more "competative"