Babysitters in my area make at least 10-12 bucks an hour. Truthfully $15 per hour for an ice cream job sounds like a lot of money....that's A LOT of Dilly Bars.
I think we, as a nation, must also accept that our standards are outrageous. Entertainment standards, car standards, clothing standards...it's insane. Heck, it seems there are very few families at school living like I did growing up...even if only one parent works a crappy job and they have five kids, each kid over age ten has Beats by Dre and the newest X Box or whatever.
If they created a big enough name for themselves. Many only will be remembered in their hometown markets.
I wholeheartedly agree with this as well. I don't understand the priorities of some people. Some of my students live like you wouldn't believe - serious poverty - but mom always has a smartphone.
Of course I tend to bring this up in such conversations, but what about farmers? My family has worked and worked hard their whole lives and it's awful what they earn. My brother has devoted his life to the farm since he was a kid and it's how he supports his family now. He makes under $10,000 annually. My dad makes little more. Maybe there can be a federal mandate that the ones who FEED US can be paid a decent wage...
And there are many families who are not living that way. I work in a lower income area now, and some of the stories that I hear are just heartbreaking. Two to three families in one dwelling, some of the kids with very few clothes and no winter clothes (it snows where I work). Families that have moved at least 4 times in the past year due to finances. I could go on and on. Not everyone's standards are outrageous. For many of the families I work with, survival is often the standard. Also, if we, as a nation, should realize that our standards are outrageous, shouldn't that apply to the people at the top as well, who are raking in billions on the backs of taxpayers through low wages, tax breaks, etc?
It's the same here. The families who are struggling are not buying their kids the latest electronics and the parents don't have them. A co-worker has 5 children. Her husband is unable to work. They have NOTHING and struggle from day to day.
Sam, of course there are families not living that way. I know that. And to answer your question, my point is that many families cannot afford how they live...if you CAN afford luxeries then so be it. Do I think on a very personal level that one can be too wealthy? Yes, there is a point and under certain circumstances where I have a moral problem with extreme wealth.
