Getting into the topic of equal pay (gender equality),what are your thoughts on increasing teacher pay to make men and women more equal earners. The majority of teachers are women, so low teacher pay lowers the average salary for American women. Years ago, most teachers were married, and their salary was considered extra spending money for the family. No one was expected to live off that salary. But now there are plenty of households trying to live off just a teacher's salary. But yet the thinking about teacher pay hasn't changed. The only teachers I know who are able to make it (without an extra job or two) are those married to someone with a much higher income.
Oh my, I don't even have to do any thinking on this one... it's an issue that has always bothered me greatly. Well two things about it, actually. Male and female teachers who teach the same things on the same level (subject, grade level, etc.)... well it's just totally ridiculous if they're not paid the same salary. I know that 1st grade phys ed isn't going to be paid the same as 12th grade calculus... that's not what I mean. But the other issue that has always puzzled me is the low salary that teachers are paid no *matter* their gender or anything else. I mean such an important *vital* job for our future... WHY would their salaries be so low?!
On one hand I think that teaching is an important job, and that teachers should be compensated as such. Particularly teachers in bad areas who have to put up with all sorts of crap from students and parents that they shouldn't. There should be more discipline allowed in schools, and it should be easier to kick out bad students and to hold bad parents more accountable. On the other hand, I've seen some horror stories of how difficult it is to fire bad teachers, and how teachers' unions will do things such as fight for the job of a teacher convicted of raping a child student, etc. There needs to be accountability and standards of performance for teachers as well.
While I think income equality may never be impossible, I am not 100% sure if we need the hierarchies we have today. We can organize each other without forming gigantic hierarchies that create the inefficiencies we have come to know and hate. Corporations are allowed to exist because of intellectual property rights, and their monopolies have worsened the situation of income inequality. I hope this will change in the future with the advent of things such as 3d printers.
Although I am all for this idea, I do not think that it will every happen. Due to the greed of many, this may never be a reality. If everyone were to the same amount of everything, people would argue that those who work hard should get more. This seems fair to me.
If government will just get out of the way for the most part, the free market system will solve most problems.
I also don't think this will ever happen. I think it'd have it's pros and cons. One of the good things is there would probably be less crimes. However, there is always going to be someone greedy for money and power. Someone who would find a way around this and find a way to get higher than everyone else.
I don't see how it could ever be possible for there to be true income equality. It just isn't feasible in a capitalist society. Or in a democracy for that matter. It is an unfortunate fact of life that having an imbalance is what keeps things moving. You have to have night to have day, etc. But that being said, things could definitely be a lot more equal. The ones who have all of the money right now wield all of the power. They have tightened their grip so much, that it is almost impossible for the story that someone else posted in this thread about a guy building a billion dollar empire from hard work and determination to ever come true any more. The American dream is all but dead thanks to lobbying and over-regulation. And not only that, but the wages for workers are far too low. It has not even come close to keeping up with inflation. And large corporations very often benefit directly from the printing of new money by being the first ones to have a crack at it, before it really hits and effects the market. Can there ever be true equality? No. But there should be an even playing field, not things like huge tax breaks for the super wealthy. And I'm sorry, but I think that a job should pay a living wage. No one can survive on a part time $7.25/hour salary.
I believe income equality is improving year by year. At least where I live I'm seeing it in my day to day life. In other countries this rise might not be as high as here, but I think over-all we're moving in the right direction.
My two cents, inequality will always exist...the imbalance will always be part and parcel of human beings, like you've said there will be those who have alot and those who have a little and those that are barely making it
